Unexpected Affection!
by Mozart's Fantasy
Summary: As the light faded on the outside world Mike banished all the fear and worry he'd been feeling from his mind. He was home with the ones who loved him and whom he loved in return... the nightmare was over. Yet something lurks in the shadows... waiting for the moment when it can seek revenge. The Hunter may be gone but, just maybe, he left a legacy. ON HIATUS...
1. Prologue- A New Beginning

**AN: Hello everyone and welcome back to my version of the FNAF universe. I hope you've all been doing well since last I've updated. As you know this is the sequel to my story 'Unexpected Attachment!' so the same rules apply. **

**1) Bonnie is a girl.**

**2) Chika is spelled that way because I like how it looks. **

**3) The children were never murdered thus the animatronics are just robots who have acquired human characteristics over time.**

**I've got awesome plans for this story, though I'm not sure they will top it's predecessor. Still I hope you'll enjoy it all the same and leave a review if you get the chance. It makes me really happy to see what you think and I read every review I get. Till next time have fun and keep reading :)**

**PS. I'm so excited that there's gonna be a FNAF movie! That's so amazing!**

**Disclaimer: Scott Cawthon owns FNAF, not me.**

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The courthouse fell silent as the jury made their way back to their seats. A young man with brown hair and blue eyes sat nervously in the second row of the audience, eyes roaming every now and again to the defendant. Even in this setting he didn't feel entirely safe being so close to that man and he hoped it wouldn't be much longer before he could escape the oppressing atmosphere pervading the room.

"Mr. Foreman, have you agreed upon a verdict." The judge asked solemnly, bringing the boys attention back to the trial.

An older man with whitening hair stood to address the assembly. "Yes, your honor, we have".

"How say you?" The demand echoed though the still room as everyone awaited the jury's decision.

"We, the members of this jury, find the defendant Ivan Nicolei guilty as charged in Count III of the indictment." The foreman stated seriously before taking his seat to await the judges final verdict.

The court erupted into chaos as reporters immediately swarmed around trying to get a decent photo for their papers. Meanwhile, angry citizens were calling for justice on the charges of kidnapping and human trafficking.

The judge banged his gavel loudly, trying to get the attention of everyone present, as he yelled "order in the court, order in the court".

Eventually things settled down enough for him to be heard above the noise.

"The court will adjourn for fifteen minutes." The Judge declared banging his gavel once more before turning to walk out the door behind him.

The time elapsed in a blur as people moved and mingled but all Mike was aware of was a warm hand covering his own. It had been nearly a year since the attack and all he wanted was for this mess to be over and done with so he could finally stop looking over his shoulder every time he heard a sound. He knew that this should be an open and shut case, but even so, there was a part of him that felt like it would never end. That he would never be free of this nightmare. As the judge reentered the room everyone stood until the okay was given for them to take their seats. The blue eyed boy held his breath as they waited for the verdict to be passed.

"Very well." The judge said, turning an impartial stare on the accused. "Ivan Nicolei, You have been found guilty of attempted murder by a panel of your peers. By the jurisdiction granted to me by this state I hereby sentence you to ten years maximum prison and gladly relinquish the custody of you and your case over to the FBI for any other federal charges pending against you".

The judge glanced over the courtroom, hit the gavel and calmly declared "court dismissed".

Everyone rose as the judge exited the room before beginning to wander out themselves. The young man closed his eyes in relief as he breathed a sigh. The Hunter would be locked away and Mike could rest easy knowing that he and his family were safe. It's true that he'd probably be called back in to testify against him for the other two charges... but at least this was out of the way. What's more, he had been given an award of $200,000 by the government for helping them capture the international criminal. He already knew that a lot of the money would be sent to charity... some to help find children who had been kidnapped and some to help improve the lives of children in the foster care program. As for the rest of the money... he knew just what he wanted to use it for. That thought brought a smile to the young mans face as he imagined the looks of surprise he would receive if his plan worked.

Mike broke out of his thoughts and watched as two police officers began escorting the criminal from the room, only to freeze when the man turned his head and glared directly at him. The twenty-three year old felt shivers course down his spine at the sight of those murderous gray eyes which seemed to stare straight though to his soul. But suddenly the mad-mans eyes widened in surprise. Turning his gaze slightly to the left, Nicolei let his expression soften until it nearly resembled tenderness. Mike turned to see what the older man was looking at, astonished to see Mrs. Kittner standing a few feet away refusing to even glance in the criminals direction. She had come with Mike as a sort of moral support since it was impossible for the animatronics to accompany him, but why was the Hunter staring at his former teacher like that. Questions began swirling in the boys mind as the police finally led the condemned man away.

A short while later Mike and Mrs. Kittner were making their way back to the woman's car. As he climbed into the passenger seat, the blue eyed youth discretely studied his companion. She had been on edge since the trial began... nervously fidgeting in her seat the whole while they'd been in the courthouse. Thinking back though, Mike realized that this wasn't a new behavior. No, this anxiety had manifested shortly after he had first decided that he would do his research paper on the Hunter. His bright blue eyes widened as a thought entered his mind. His teacher was hiding something from him... something that involved the man who had tried to kill him less than a year ago! He didn't know how or when, but Mike knew he had to ask the woman about it. The problem was that he was unsure whether she would be willing to even acknowledge it... let alone talk about it. He knew, however, that the longer he waited the more reasons he would be able to come up with for not asking. So, without further ado, he decided that there was no better time than the present.

"Um... Mrs. Kittner?" The young man asked hesitantly, turning in his seat to get a better view of her face.

"Yes Michael?" The teacher relied, keeping a steadfast eye on the road. "What's up"?

"Well, it's just..." He trailed off, unsure how to approached the subject, before deciding to cut straight to the chase. "Do you know Ivan Nicolei"?

Just then a car pulled out in front of them causing the teacher to veer left... nearly swerving into oncoming traffic. Mike's knuckles were pure white due to the death grip he had on his seat. The young mans eyes widened with fear as his companion fought to get the vehicle back under control without smashing into any of the other cars on the road. What had felt like hours to the frightened youth had, in reality, only taken a few seconds before the woman was back in control of the vehicle. Mrs. Kittner rammed her hand down, angrily blaring the horn at the idiot who had nearly caused them to be in a car accident. Neither she or Mike spoke for the rest of the time it took to get to Freddy Fazbears Pizzeria. They were still shaken from what had nearly happened as they pulled into the parking lot. The boy wanted to remind his former teacher of his question but decided it could wait until they'd both had the chance to calm down.

"I'm sorry Michael but I've really got to be going." The woman apologized, eyes filled with a variety of mixed emotions as she parked the car outside the pizzeria. "My daughter is waiting for me back at the hotel. I told her we'd go get a bite to eat once I'd dropped you off and I'm running late as it is".

"Oh, um... that's fine." The boy replied, opening the car door. "How long will you be in town Mrs. Kittner? Don't you have classes you need to teach"?

"You're not my student anymore." The middle aged women reminded him, a fond smile pulling at the edges of her lips. "Please, just call me Laura. We're planning on being in town for at least a week or two... I took an extended vacation. I haven't seen Anya since you both graduated and figured we could make do with some family time. You do remember her don't you? She was in your class".

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

_Mike raced though the hallway toward room 217. It was the first day of his senor year of collage and he had overslept, making him nearly ten minutes late for his creative writing class. Rounding a corner the young man was surprised to find that he wasn't the only one running late. Neither had a chance to move out of the way before colliding and landing on the floor in an undignified heap, books and papers scattered around the hall._

"_I'm so sorry." Mike apologized quietly, helping to pick up the items that had been dropped. "I should have been paying more attention to where I was going"._

"_Don't worry about it." A female voice replied, causing the boy to glance up. "I was just as much at fault as you were after all"._

_Mike quickly took in the girls appearance before resuming his task... he didn't want her to think he was rude for staring. She was about his age with medium length black hair that was slightly wavy. A multicolored butterfly clip secured her bangs so they wouldn't fall into her captivating sea green eyes as she swung her head around, looking for her remaining supplies. The young woman was shorter than him and was also carrying a little extra weight... but to him, she was absolutely beautiful. The girl finished gathering her things and was already hurrying down the hallway by the time he looked up._

"_Wait, what's your name?" He called after her, jumping to his feet in the process._

_She turned around, a bright smile playing on her lips before answering. "It's Anya"._

_Then she was gone... leaving Mike standing there in a daze. Shaking his head to clear it, he quickly picked up the rest of his stuff and rushed off to class knowing he'd be getting a lecture for being late._

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

Mike could feel the blush heating his face as he stepped out of the car into the cold January air, quickly pulling his jacket tighter around himself.

"Yea, I remember." He said, slightly embarrassed. "Umm... tell her I said hi".

"I will." The teacher replied sincerely. "Take care of yourself Mike. We'll have to get together before I head back".

The boy nodded slowly as the woman put her car in drive and pulled away. With a sigh he walked into the restaurant, heading straight for the manager's office. He knocked on the door and waited for permission to enter before letting himself in.

"Ah, Mike." The older man stated. "How was the trial? Everything go okay"?

"Yes sir, it was fine." He confirmed. "I was wondering... It's just... well I..."

"Come on lad, just spit it out." The manager scolded lightly.

The brown haired man swallowed nervously, before starting again.

"Well, I know Freddy's has been struggling for awhile and you plan on closing it down." He expressed. "I was wondering if you'd consider selling it instead? I've got money... that's not a problem, so please... this place means so much to me".

The manager held up his hand, silencing the worried guard before folding his hands on the table. He took in the young man standing restlessly as he awaited the answer, hope and fear fighting for dominance in his azure eyes. After a few moments the older mans lips formed into a smile.

"Mike, after what you went through here I believe it's the least I could do to let you have the place. I've got enough money saved up in my retirement fund to last for the rest of my days. You should save your money for fixing this place up. Goodness knows it needs it." He declared, holding up a hand to stop the guards protests. "If you still feel you need to pay me back then how bout you help with work around my house. It's in need of some repairs and I'm not as young as I once was... it would be a big help".

"Are you sure? I don't want to take advantage of you." The boy spoke, somewhat unsure.

"Yes, I'm sure. Besides, I don't think the gang would have it any other way." The manager gave a knowing wink.

Mike's jaw nearly hit the floor at that revelation.

"Wait, you know they're alive?" He asked, disbelievingly. "But how? When? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME"!?

"I found out a long time ago when I had the pleasure of watching them bond with a special little boy... but that's unimportant." The old man proclaimed. "You have an extraordinary connection with those four. It's something I could never have dreamed of achieving, even if I'd put the time into getting to know them like you have. I'll stay on for a little while and teach you what you need to know about running the business, but after that you're on your own".

"I cannot thank you enough for this sir." Mike uttered emotionally, eyes bright with unshed tears. "You have no idea how much this means to me"!

The manager smiled and gestured toward the door. "Why don't you go tell them the good news, eh"?

Mike gave a happy nod before turning and quickly making his way out the door, heading for the dining area. He knew that the animatronics would most likely be backstage having just finished the last show of the day. Upon reaching his destination, the young man took a deep breath and readied himself for the big surprise he was about to reveal to his family.

"Mikey, me lad!" Foxy exclaimed as he saw who it was that had entered. "We be wondering where ya had been. How be the trial"?

The animatronics watched as Mike settled on one of the chairs, various degrees of worry on their faces which ranged from Freddy's calm concern to Chika's full blown panic.

"It went really well." The former guard replied, giving them all a reassuring smile. "Nicolei was sentenced to ten years in prison for attempted murder".

The robotic animals flinched as their child spoke the last couple words. The were still upset that they had failed to protect the boy.

Mike gave them each a reassuring smile before continuing. "It will take longer for the kidnapping and human trafficking since they're both federal charges... though they said my research might help speed up the process".

"That is good to hear." Freddy nodded in approval. "I know it couldn't have been easy seeing that criminal again... I am extremely proud of you Mike".

"It wasn't easy..." The brown haired man admitted. "When they first brought him in and our eyes met I couldn't suppress the fear I felt and... I froze. If Mrs. Kittner hadn't been there I probably would have ran from the room".

"Oh you poor dear!" Bonnie said, concern filling her voice as well as her eyes, before she pulled him into a hug. "It must have been absolutely horrible... but don't worry, that monster can't hurt you anymore... you're safe".

"And even if he did come back we'd be sure to kick his butt before he got anywhere near you!" Chika declared, making her way over to them.

Mike pulled back from the bunnies embrace, a loving expression on his face.

"Thank you guys..." He spoke, voice barely louder than a whisper. "Your support this past year gave me the courage I needed to face him at the trial. I'm so glad that we're able to be a family again... I love you all so much".

"And we be loving ya just as much." Foxy asserted, nuzzling his little mateys cheek with his muzzle.

Freddy stepped forward, a curious look in his dark, blue eyes.

"Did you just get here?" The bear asked. "The trial must have taken longer than we had expected".

"No, I had to stop by the managers office." The boy explained. "I had something I needed to ask him".

"About what sweetie?" Bonnie questioned.

"About this place." Mike said as he glanced around, the others doing the same with slightly saddened expressions marring their features. "As you know, the boss plans to close down the restaurant".

"Yea, it's so sad." Chika interrupted, black tears gathering in her eyes. "We might get split up or put out of service"!

"Chika I'm sure that won't happen." Bonnie stated, though her tone was full of doubt.

"It might lass." Foxy sighed, concern showing in his stance. "And if it be coming to that... what of our little laddie? Who be there to protect him if we be gone"?

"That won't happen." Mike stated firmly. "That's what I was talking to the manager about. The FBI gave me an award for helping them catch such a dangerous criminal. I offered to buy this place but he wouldn't take the money. Instead he wants me to use it to fix this place up".

The robotic animals stared in disbelief their ears perking up as they listened to what their child was saying. They couldn't believe it... were they hearing Mike right?

The pirate gazed at his first mate, hope shining in his golden eyes. "Does that be meaning what I think it be meaning"?

"Yup... you're looking at the new manager and owner of Freddy Fazbears Pizza." The young man announced.

"You never fail to amaze me Michael." Freddy spoke in an awe filled voice.

"I couldn't let my family be broken again." The brown haired man replied seriously. "I don't want to be alone again after being with you guys... I don't think I could take it".

Upon hearing that, all four animatronics rushed forward, enveloping Mike in a joyful group hug as the tension they had been feeling melted away with each passing second. Now was a time for new beginnings... a time to leave the past behind them and focus on what was truly important. As the light faded on the outside world Mike banished all the fear and worry he'd been feeling from his mind. He was home with the ones who loved him and whom he loved in return... the nightmare was over.

Unbeknownst to them... a nameless figure lurked in the darkening shadows outside the pizzeria, cold eyes memorizing every detail as they waited. Soon it would be too dark to see and there would be no point sticking around. They were here to gather data after all and with the lack of light that was increasingly difficult. No, better to leave now than to risk getting caught unawares in the blackened night. With that decided, the unknown entity disappeared silently into the shadows from whence it came... leaving no trace that they had ever been there to begin with.

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**AN: So that's the prologue. What do you think? Who could the mysterious shadow person be? Are they friend or foe? You'll just have to keep reading to find out :P Don't forget to review!**


	2. New And Improved

**AN: Okay, this took forever but I hope you'll like it. I'm so thankful to each of you for the support I have gotten for this story as well as 'Unexpected Attachment!' and the audio series. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of this chapter. Also it has come to my attention that haters have been targeting various people in this fandom. If this is happening to you all I can say is that it's best to ignore them and if you need someone to talk to you can PM me and I'll listen. I know what it's like to deal with that... it made me unsure if I even wanted to update my last story, but thanks to the support of my readers I realized that I can't give up something I love just because a few people don't like what I'm doing. So thanks to each of you and please let me know what you think :)**

**Diclaimer: Scott Cawthon owns FNAF, not me. I only own the plot and characters I come up with in my stories.**

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The time had come and Mike was as nervous as could be. After weeks of learning how to run the pizzeria, the old manager had declared that he had nothing more to teach and that he would now retire to his home in the country. During that time, construction had already begun on the restaurant so it was closed to the public for the time being. The former guard wanted everything to be just as good, if not better, than he remembered it being as a kid. They had also added on a second story. It was a new apartment where Mike could live and have some privacy, yet still be close to his family if something should happen. In all truth that idea had come from the animatronics, well mostly an over protective rabbit who wouldn't take no for an answer. Mike laughed as he remembered the day, not so long ago, when they had decided that he would be better off here than at the crummy apartment he'd been living in up till this point.

_Bonnie sat near the edge of the stage tuning her guitar. It had been a busy day and she was going to miss the children when the renovations started. It wasn't for another couple of weeks but still, it would feel a bit lonely with no one around. She glanced up as the front door opened, a smile already forming when she saw Mike... though it faded as she noticed that he had his right eye hidden behind a curtain of brown hair. With alarm bells ringing in her head the bunny quickly made her way over to him. _

"_Mikey, what's wrong?" She asked, worry seeping into her voice. "Are you okay"?_

"_It's uh... nothing." the boy replied hesitantly before noticing the rabbits gaze shift to his hair in disbelief. "I just decided to try out something new"._

_The purple rabbit took in the young mans appearance, appraising every little aspect. She wondered when his hair had gotten so long. Sure it had always been shaggy, but not like this. Mike had it styled so that his bangs were swiped to the side, effectively hiding the upper right part of his face from view. Despite what the boy had just told her, Bonnie's motherly side was still calling out a warning that something was wrong. _

"_Michael Jefferson Schmidt don't you dare lie to me!" The rabbit exclaimed, unusually loud. "I can tell you're trying to hide something... now show me that eye so I can see how bad it is"._

_Mike sighed in resignation as he moved his hair out of the way, he should have known that he wouldn't be able to fool his adoptive family. The young man looked down guiltily, upon hearing Bonnie gasp, as a prominent black eye was revealed. The boy refused to meet her gaze, embarrassment tinting his face red as the robotic bunny ran a furry paw lightly over the swollen area. Upon seeing the young man wince from even that soft touch, her eyes hardened and she clenched her paws into fists. Anger seethed from the normally gentle animatronic in waves as she deliberately took a step back. _

"_Freddy, Foxy, Chika..." She called, getting the attention of the others who had currently been doing their own thing. "I need you to get in here NOW"!_

_It was less than a minute before the other three animatronics raced into the room, bodies tense and eyes alert, already looking for trouble._

"_What be the problem lass?" Foxy growled, scanning the surrounding area in search of danger. _

"_Are you both alright?" Freddy questioned, walking forward to join the two in the center of the room. "Bonnie why are you so upset"?_

_The rabbit closed her pink eyes, silently counting to five to calm herself as the others gathered round. Once she was sure that she wouldn't start screaming, Bonnie looked at Mike firmly and gestured for him to step forward. He moved to stand beside the purple animatronic, bangs once again blocking any view of his eye. _

"_As a matter of fact, no... It is not alright. Mikey, here, was trying to hide a black eye from us." She stated as soon as the boy was next to her. _

_Chika gasped dramatically while Freddy and Foxy both shouted "What?" Inadvertently making the young man flinch at the deafening noise. _

_Bonnie slowly moved the former guards hair out of the way, being careful not to cause any pain, and revealed the discoloration to the rest of their friends. _

_Upon seeing the nasty bruise Chika broke out crying, black tears trailing down her face uninhibited. _

"_Why? Why didn't you tell us about this?" She sobbed, upset that he would hide something so important. "If we'd have known maybe we could have helped you"!_

"_I agree with Chika, my boy." Freddy stated, mostly concerned with slight disappointment present in his posture. "I am very sorry that you thought you couldn't tell us about this"._

_Mike's eyes widened as he realized what his family thought had happened and he quickly took a step forward to raise an objection when Foxy began to speak._

"_Mikey me lad... ya know ye can always come to us fer anything." The pirate fox declared softly, worry shining in his golden eye. "If ye be having trouble all ya need do is let us know and we be taking care of it fer ya mighty quick"._

"_Wha... No!" The blue eyed boy yelled, waving his hands in the air for emphasis. "It's not what you're thinking. And I don't need you to take care of all my problems... I'm perfectly capable of doing that myself"._

"_Please Mike," Bonnie pleaded, placing a gentle paw on his shoulder. "Just tell us who did this to you. There's no need to be frightened... we won't let them hurt you again"._

_The young man took a calming breath, hoping it would ease the embarrassment he was feeling as he brushed the bunnies hand from his shoulder... ignoring the slightly hurt look she sent him. _

"_No one did this to me guys. I wasn't beaten up or mugged or anything... it was all an accident." Mike explained, giggling a little sheepishly as he admitted... "I left a cupboard door open in the kitchen above the sink, and... well... I kinda walked right into it"._

_Nobody moved or spoke for a few moments as they absorbed that information before Bonnie suddenly rushed forward and pulled him into a tight embrace._

"_Oh my little Mikey... you don't have to protect the mean person who did this to you." She cried, rubbing his back in a soothing manor. "It was the guy you told us about who lives in the apartment next door isn't it? The one who punched a hole through your wall? Well I won't have you living next to such a violent man. We're going to add on a second floor to the renovation plans, you can stay there once it's complete... and I won't be taking no as an answer"._

"_But Bonnie." Mike argued in vain as the rabbit placed an unwavering paw over his lips._

"_No!" She replied. "And that's final"!_

_Foxy was currently trying to hold in his laughter as he and the others watched in amusement, Chika having calmed down once she'd heard Bonnie's solution._

"_Ye might as well give in now laddie." The swashbuckler called mirthfully. "There be no way she be letting ya out of this one"._

_Mike sighed exasperatedly, deciding to talk to her again once she'd had the chance to calm down._

Now, weeks later, Mike found himself exploring the newly remodeled Freddy Fazbears... and his new apartment. As Foxy had predicted, he had been unable to talk the purple rabbit out of her idea and after the others had joined in... it had truly become a lost cause. As the young man walked back into the main dining area he noticed his friends gathered around one of the tables. As he approached they all turned to look at him, large smiles upon there faces as they parted... allowing him a view of the beautifully decorated cake sitting on the table before them. The words written in blue frosting read 'Welcome home and best wishes at your new job!' Mike couldn't help laughing at the wittiness of that remark.

With a smile still present on his face the former guard said, "Thanks guys, I'll do my best".

"We know you will Michael." Freddy stated seriously, serving the boy a generous slice of the dessert. "And if you ever have any questions all you need to do is ask and we'll do our best to help".

The brown haired man nodded, he knew he could trust the others to help if he had any problems with running the business... after all they had many years of experience with working at the pizzeria. At that thought though, his face fell and uncertainty clouded his features. The others noticed and Chika wrapped a reassuring wing around his back, hoping it would ease his worry.

"What be troubling ya matey?" Foxy asked, concerned by the sudden shift in their childs mood. "Are ye doubting yer readiness? Cause if that be the case then let me tell ya one thing... ye be ready fer this change. I know it be a lot to handle, but ye won't be alone... ya have all of us by yer side".

The other three animatronics nodded in agreement. The shared support boosted Mike's confidence and he smiled slightly.

"I know you are, and I can't be more grateful for that than I already am." The young man proclaimed softly. "I'm so glad to have such a supportive family".

The four animatronics as well as Mike spent the rest of the evening in comfort, just spending time together before the grand-reopening tomorrow. As night fell upon the pizzeria, the new owner stifled a yawn as his eyes began to droop.

"I guess I'd better get to bed." He said, smiling sleepily. "Don't want to be tired for tomorrow, I want everything to go perfectly".

"I'm sure it will." Bonnie assured, fondly running a paw through the boys shaggy, brown hair. "You've worked so hard to make sure this place looks it's best and I'm sure the employees know that as well".

"Yea, that's true!" Chika piped up enthusiastically. "We've heard the people who work here talk about you. They all seem to really like and respect you for what you're doing with the pizzeria".

"Well I hope I don't disappoint them." He expressed before adding under his breath, "Or you".

"Just have faith in yourself." Freddy declared calmly. "When the time comes, you'll know what to do".

With that said, Mike headed upstairs to bed. As he reached the apartment he looked around, taking in the unpacked boxes and general discord of his new home. Yet even so, he felt a peace settle over him that had been absent since his childhood. He knew his family were just downstairs if he needed them and that reassured him that everything would by okay... he just had to trust that he had learned what he would need to make this business flourish.

Morning dawned on the next day with warm sunlight streaming through the window. Mike slowly blinked open his eyes, wondering for a moment where he was before remembering that he had moved into the apartment above the pizzeria. With that thought came the realization that the ribbon cutting ceremony would be taking place at noon that very day, causing the new owner of Freddy's to shoot up in bed... turning to face his clock in the process. With a sigh of relief at seeing that it was only nine, Mike calmly got up and headed to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day ahead. An hour later he'd eaten breakfast, dressed in his nicest outfit, and headed downstairs to meet with his family before the rest of the staff arrived.

"Hey everyone, could you come here for a couple minutes?" He called as he reached the ground floor and made his way into the office.

It had been decided that there would be no more night guards, that job being made unessential due to the animatronics watchfulness and Mike moving in upstairs. Instead, the security cameras were moved into the managers office so that the new owner could keep watch over everything during the day. Now, as the robotic animals filed into the room, the young man found himself sorting his notes for the speech he would be making before cutting the ribbon at the ceremony. He glanced up a moment later once they'd all gotten comfortable.

"Okay, so you all know the plan right?" He asked, a little nervously.

"Yes Michael." Freddy replied, completely serious. "Chika and I stand to the right of the entrance while Foxy and Bonnie do the same on the left".

"Once the ribbon is cut," Bonnie picked up where the bear had left off. "We wait for everyone to enter the building before following".

"Then we get to preform the new song Bonnie wrote for us." Chika said excitedly.

"And once the show be over we get to mingle with the guests and be meeting the children." Foxy finished.

Mike sighed in relief, he should have known they'd have it under control.

"Okay, we've only got an hour left before it starts so we better finish getting ready." The brown haired man declared.

With that the group of friends dispersed to attend to the rest of the preparations. Once noon rolled around they were all in position, ready to begin the ceremony. As Mike stepped up to the podium and glanced around, one face stuck out from the crowd... immediately catching his attention.

"_Anya?" _He looked again, noticing the same green eyes and black hair that had captivated him when they'd first met. _"It's definitely her. I wonder what I'll say to her... will she even remember me? I probably didn't make much of an impact on her, after all we barely even talked in college"._

A quiet noise came from somewhere to his right where Freddy was standing and his face flushed as he realized that the crowd was waiting for him to speak.

With a deep calming breath, Mike began. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen, as well as each of the children present here today, to the new and improved Freddy Fazbears Pizza. We have been working hard to make sure everything is ready for today and I think you will all be pleasantly surprised".

He took a break to let the clapping die down before starting up once again.

"We have completely remodeled the building, making sure everything fits the city safety codes, as well as replacing the furniture and carpets so that you may feel safe and comfortable at all times. In addition to that, we have restored Pirates Cove to it's original glory and it will be open, along with the main stage, so that the little ones can once again enjoy Foxy the pirates interactive storytelling".

As he said this, the young man gestured with his arm toward the mechanical fox. Foxy in turn winked exaggeratedly at the audience, making the children laugh as a wide smile appeared on his face.

"Now, if there are no questions," Mike paused, waiting to see if anyone wanted to ask something. When no one did he continued. "Let's get this ribbon cut so we can get some delicious pizza and watch the show"!

Mike picked up the large pair of scissors from the stool where they lay and proceeded to cut the red ribbon as the cameras flashed, blinding him for a few seconds.

Afterwards the waiting crowd made their way into the pizzeria, followed by the robotic animals. As the former guard turned, about to follow, a hand caught his shoulder... involuntarily making him flinch.

He turned as a feminine voice began to speak in soft tones, coming face to face with Anya. "Oh no, I'm so sorry. My mom told me you were still pretty jumpy. I should have know better than to sneak up on you like that".

She was dressed in a black shirt that had a purple butterfly on it along with a nice pair of jeans. Her black hair was held up in a high ponytail, save for the bangs that hung in loose curls on either side of her face. The sea green eyes he loved so much, showed a mixture of sympathy and regret, and Mike couldn't help wonder if maybe she somehow returned the feelings he held for her.

"Um... Mike," The woman asked, waving a hand in front of his face good-humoredly. "You okay? You're kinda zoning out".

The brown haired man mentally shook himself, blushing with embarrassment as he replied. "Oh... yea I'm fine. I was just caught off guard".

Anya laughed, the sound similar to the beautiful ringing of a bell. "You really haven't changed, ya know that? Still as shy and awkward as you were when we were in school".

If possible Mike's face turned an even deeper shade of crimson. It wasn't his fault that he got nervous around people, it wasn't just her. At least that's what he was telling himself. The truth was that he'd been getting better at speaking to people since he and the gang had been reunited.

"Well, um... would you like to, maybe, come inside?" The blue eyed boy asked hopefully, his voice quiet.

"I'd love to." Anya replied, lacing her arm through his and leading the way into the building.

They mingled for quite some time, Mike telling her all about the renovations and how he was now living in the apartment above the pizzeria. The young woman laughed as their conversation moved on to stories of their collage days. A little while later Anya left in search of her mom who was talking to one of the other women near the entrance to Pirates Cove, and Mike was left on his own. He talked to many of the guests and reporters as well as a few of the kids before heading to his office for a break and to check the cameras, making sure everything was in perfect working order. As closing time approached, the new manager made his way back to the dining area, wishing people goodnight as they departed. Anya rushed up after the rest of the people had filed out, followed more slowly by Mrs. Kittner, and gave him a tight hug.

"It was so good to see you again Mike." She declared, pulling away to look him in the eyes. "We should get coffee sometime. There's this really cute looking cafe just a few blocks over that I've been wanting to check out. You should come with me... it could be fun".

Mike smiled at her fond teasing and nodded, his shaggy hair falling into his face.

"I'd like that." He stated, grabbing a napkin from a nearby table and writing something on it quickly before handing it to her. "Here, this is my number. Now we can stay in touch".

"I'll be sure to call you." The black haired woman replied, waving as she walked out the door into the night only to turn back seconds later... a more serious expression on her face. "Remember Mike, there's always light at the end of a tunnel".

He watched as Anya walked away, trying to comprehend what she had just told him. She must have been referring to his ordeal with the Hunter, after all her mom would have surely told her the whole story by now.

"Mike?" Mrs. Kittner asked, bringing the boy out of his daze.

"Yes Mrs. Kitt..." He trailed off, noticing her raised eyebrow and swiftly amended his sentence. "I mean Laura"?

"Do I need to give you the talk about being good to my daughter?" She asked sternly, arms crossed in front of her.

Mike once again turned a beautiful shade of crimson at what is former teacher was implying. After a few seconds he was finally able to form a coherent statement.

"I promise I would never do anything to hurt Anya... you know that Mrs. Kittner." He said slightly accusing and was relieved when the woman smiled.

"I do know." The teacher replied somewhat sadly. "But one can never be too sure. She's the only family I have after all".

With that the woman followed her daughter out the door, leaving Mike to lock it behind them. Afterwards he turned back to face the stage, finding the animatronics standing there with knowing looks on their faces.

"Seems to me that our little laddie be having a crush on that there vixen." Foxy stated, a smirk present on his furry face.

The others nodded in agreement as Mikes cheeks flamed red, setting off a bout of giggles from the two girls.

"You jerk... just shut up!" Mike exclaimed loudly as he marched past them to reach the stairs.

"_Why did I have to loose my cool like that in front of the others. All it did was prove Foxys point!" _The young man scolded himself as he made his way up to his apartment.

As he opened the door and stepped through the threshold Mike felt something catch his foot and found himself falling towards the ground. With quick reflexes the blue eyed boy twisted to the side and caught himself. Sure he had still landed on his hands and knees, but better that than his face any day. Before he'd had the time to process what had happened however, a flowerpot crashed down in front of him... shattering into tiny pieces right were his head would have been had he not managed to catch himself. Startled, Mike flung himself backwards away from the offending object, his brain trying in vain to make sense out of what had just occurred.

"_What the hell?!" _He nearly cried aloud. _"Why was there a flowerpot above my door? Someone must have put it there... but why? Are they trying to KILL me"?_

That thought sent chills through his body as his mind unwittingly returned to the events of the previous year.

He was brought out of his reverie, however, by Freddy's worried call. "Michael? Are you all right up there? What was that loud crash"?

Mike quickly gathered his wits about him in order to call down to Freddy, albeit a bit shakily. "It's fine, I just tripped. Don't worry, I'm not hurt".

There was no reason to worry the others needlessly. Especially after what they had went through that first week. If his family knew what had just happened they wouldn't leave him alone for months! Taking a few calming breaths Mike got to his feet, leaving the flowerpot lay were it had fallen... the forlorn flower petals strewn over the ground. The former guard unsteadily made his way to the bathroom where he quickly composed himself before changing into his night clothes and brushing his teeth. Once he was ready, the young man made his way into his bedroom, only to find a small envelope resting on his pillow.

With shaking hands, Mike pulled out the tattered slip of paper nestled inside and read. "If you have the courage to look... you may be lucky enough to find a light in the darkness... Sweet dreams".

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**AN: So that was chapter 1. I hope you enjoyed it and are looking forward to reading more of this story. Please leave a review to let me know what you think and as always, thanks for reading.**


	3. Returning Doubts

**AN: Well surprise, I finally updated. I'm so sorry that it took this long, I've been super busy. I hope you'll all forgive me and that you'll enjoy this chapter. By the way, I'm also working on a little side story that I hope to have the prologue of finished within the next few weeks. It takes place in a slightly different version of the FNAF universe than both this story or the game. I don't want to spoil anything though so you'll have to wait and see what it's about. The only thing I'll tell you is that the title will be 'Purple Isn't The Color Of Hate!' Thanks as always for all the support you've shown me. Now on with the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Scott Cawthon is the genius who owns FNAF... all I did was write a less scary version.**

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Mike sat in his office, peering uneasily out the window into the seemingly endless darkness. It had been nearly a week since the flower pot incident and he was still somewhat unsettled by it. How had someone managed to sneak into his apartment? He's always made sure to lock the door before leaving... that was a lesson he learned the hard way right after graduating from collage. So with the door locked and his home being on the second floor, it brings us right back to where we were a minute ago... how did they do it? A knock on the door made the former guard startle and whip around before realizing there was no danger. After taking a quick moment to recompose himself, Mike gave the okay to enter.

"Foxy?" He questioned, eyes widening in surprise since this was the first time any of the animatronics had came up to his apartment. "What's wrong? Why are you here"?

"Well, me and the others be noticing ye seem a bit upset lately." The robotic fox paused, rubbing his paw behind his head. "Do ye want to tell ol' Foxy what happened to be making ya feel that way"?

The blue eyed boy hesitated, knowing that he should probably tell the others, but since there hadn't been another disturbance like the one at the reopening, he decided to brush it off... no need to worry the others carelessly.

"It's nothing Foxy... something strange happened close to a week ago but it's fine now, you don't need to worry about it." He said, a bit subdued. "Now, how about we head down to the restaurant and get ready for today"?

The pirate looked at Mike carefully but could find only truth in his eyes even if he did look slightly jumpy. With a quick nod, the robotic fox turned and walked back through the doorway and down the stairs to the pizzeria. The brown haired man gave a quick sigh of relief before following.

Upon entering the dining room, the young man found the other three animatronics, as well as Foxy, already gathered there. A smile bloomed on his face at the thought that his family was here with him after all that time apart. Even though it had already been a year since they were first reunited, Mike didn't think it would ever get old. Waking up and walking downstairs just to see the ones he cherished look at him with eyes full of love and acceptance... it was what he'd always wanted ever since his parents had died. But still, it felt like something was missing. He'd noticed it getting stronger ever since he saw Anya at the reopening.

"Mikey?" Bonnie's voice broke through his thoughts. "Is something bothering you dear? You seem more distracted than usual".

The former guard smiled reassuringly as he shook his head.

"I was just thinking..." He trailed off, glancing at the others before continuing. "I don't think my life could get much better than it is now. We're all safe, Nicolei's gone, and I have the most amazing family anyone could ever hope to have... what could be missing"?

"Maybe a certain black haired young woman and young ones of your own to share your life with?" Freddy asked, a knowing look in his eyes.

The brown haired man stared in shock before nodding, his blue eyes reflecting the uncertainty inside his heart.

"Then I think you know what you need to do." The bear declared wisely as Foxy and Bonnie smiled in agreement, tenderness reflecting in their eyes.

Chika , however, swung her head back and forth looking from one friend to another in confusion.

"What? What does he need to do?" She questioned, curiously.

Upon seeing the baffled look on the chickens face Mike and foxy burst out laughing while Bonnie and Freddy were a bit more polite and tried to stifle their giggles. They all knew Chika could be clueless sometimes... but that was just one of the things they loved about her.

"Aww, come on!" She yelled, frustratedly, when the laughter finally died down. "Just tell me already".

Foxy decided to take pity on the poor lass and moved over to her so he could whisper in her ear. As he finished, the purple eyed chicken let out an excited squeak and bounded over to Mike.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend!" She exclaimed eagerly. "Ooh, can I meet her? What's her name? Is she nice? Start talking Mikey, I need details"!

Mike took an involuntary step back as the anxious chicken advanced. He quickly held up both hands in a placating manner.

"Whoa Chika, calm down." He cried. "Her name's Anya, I met her in college, she's Mrs. Kittner's daughter... and technically we're not dating".

The energetic animatronic blinked owlishly before rolling her eyes at him.

"Well why not?" She asked, placing a wing on one of her hips. "It's clear you like her. Just call her up and say you want to go out tonight".

"Chika... it's not that easy," He whined, running a hand down his face in exasperation. "Sure I like her, but..."

"_Don't we love you? Who would ever love such a worthless little brat. Trust me... we're doing you a favor by telling you this now. No one... will ever... love you"._

_The small seven year old gazed up at the couple before him, his face turning apathetic as his young eyes grew haunted. Ever since that first week when he'd woken up from a horrific nightmare and, seeking comfort, had climbed into his new guardians bed... he'd known in his heart that they would never care for him the way he wanted . He'll never forget what they said when he woke them up that night. _

"_How dare you wake us you insignificant pest. The only reason we don't ship you off right now is because of the money they're giving us to take care of you. Don't think for a minute that it's because we actually care for you. No one will ever want a child who does nothing but cry and cause trouble"._

_From that day forward Mikey had tried to prove his worth. He did everything that was asked of him without complaint all the while wearing a smile on his face. Then about a year later he built up his courage to ask the one question that was considered taboo by all the children in the home... Was I good? Do you love me now? The answer he had received nearly crushed his spirit beyond repair. He could take being called a brat or worthless. But to be told that he would never be loved? It was just to much._

"_Oh... okay." He whispered before walking back to his room._

_He never sought anything from his foster parents again. To the other children he seemed distant and unfriendly so they stayed away from him... and he liked it that way. If he never let anyone get close to him then they had no chance of hurting him in the future. _

"_I don't need anyone." He thought as he sat in his room, staring through his window at the kids playing in the yard below. "I'm fine on my own. It's not like those other kids like me anyway"._

_So as time carried on, the lonely child grew more and more withdrawn, choosing to spend his time alone, locked in his room. That way he could draw pictures of happier times, write stories of made up adventures, and escape his life... at least for a short time. No one bothered with trying to befriend him, whether it was because he was unapproachable or because they just didn't care never occurred to the broken child that had once been so full of life._

_It wasn't until a little over a year later that things changed. A new boy arrived. He was about twelve years old with golden blonde hair and green eyes. Everyone was curious of the newcomer... everyone that is except for Mikey. He stayed in his room like usual, never bothering to come introduce himself. He probably would have been content to never meet the boy but his room was the only one left with a free bed. It was inevitable that they would be roommates and he hated the thought of having to share his sanctuary. He knew, however, that it would only be a matter of time before one of the others left and the new kid switched rooms. He would just have to tolerate it until then. As Mike sat at his desk staring at his most treasured object, the door opened and a blonde headed boy appeared in the entrance way. He quickly hid the item and pretended to work on his newest story._

"_Hey there, my name's Jeremy." The older male said in a friendly tone, before frowning slightly. "Ya know, the only thing I was able to get the other kids to tell me about you was your name... it's like they were scared or something"._

_The brown haired child glanced up emotionlessly, though on the inside he was shocked. Why would the others be afraid. Sure he never talked to them or took part in any games, but still... he just couldn't understand._

_Jeremy took a couple steps towards the distracted boy, leaning in to get a better look at his face._

"_It must be the eyes." He noted sadly as Mike flinched away. _

"_Why, what's wrong with my eyes?" The eight year old asked quietly, voice rough from disuse._

"_So, you can talk." The elder one laughed, a bright smile playing on his face before turning somber. "It's just... I've never seen such a young kid with eyes that look so dead". _

_Mikey turned to face the mirror that hung on the far wall. He didn't look any different than he did the last time he'd looked. Dull blue eyes shown back at him, dark shadows telling of many nights where he had sat up alone with his thoughts. If one were to look hard enough, though, you would be able to see heartbreak hidden within their haunted depths. But that's just it... no one ever looked... no one cared to._

"_That expression doesn't suit you at all." The older male continued. "You should be smiling and happy, you're just a kid after all"._

_The young child startled as he felt a pair of larger hands land on his shoulders, he hadn't even realized the other kid had moved. _

"_It's okay to cry Mikey." Jeremy whispered, turning the boy towards him and hugging tightly. "You don't need to face the world on your own anymore. I'll protect you... and even if I never know the reason you locked yourself away, I'll be here... and I won't leave you alone again._

_Mike buried his face in the older boys shoulder, letting his tears fall for the first time in over a year._

"_You're... you're going to... to stay?" He asked brokenly, barely daring to hope. He hadn't realized how alone he felt and how much he'd needed someone to accept him. "I won't be on my own anymore"?_

"_No, I promise. You're gonna be my little brother okay Mikey?" The new boy declared, protectively. "It's kinda funny, we just met but I already feel like I know you. I guess this was meant to be, huh"?_

"_Mmm hmm." The younger replied, drowsily._

_It had been a long, stressful day and the eight year old was quickly falling asleep in the arms of his new friend. With a fond smile, Jeremy gently led Mike over to his bed and tucked him in. He didn't know what had happened to make the blue eyed boy so reserved and indifferent but he swore he would get the younger child to open up, even if it took years. He himself had been in the foster system ever since he could remember and he'd seen what had befallen children who had lost all hope. He refused to let that fate befall the little kid who was now sleeping peacefully, curled up beside him. He just needed to find the key that would open up the lock around the younger boys heart... then, finally, Mikey would be able to let his true self out once more. The one Jeremy and barely caught a glimpse of before the picture had been hidden under various drawings that lay scattered around the desk._

"But what, matey?" Foxy spoke, worried at how the boy had suddenly grown silent. "If ye be thinking yer not good enough fer the lass... that be a lie if ever I be hearing one".

Mike shook himself out of his thoughts. Jeremy had kept his promise and the two had quickly developed a bond that grew stronger as the weeks and years passed. Even now they were more like brothers than anything. The older man had been extremely worried when he'd found out about the whole Hunter predicament, not to mention angry. He'd raged at Mike for a good half hour about hearing it on the news instead of from his little brother, then for the next hour had gone on and on about how worried he'd been and to never keep him in the dark about anything ever again. The former guard new it would only be a matter of time before he would need to introduce the two halves of his family. He wondered how Jeremy would take it, after all it was because of him that Mike had known about the night guard job at Freddy's in the first place. The, now, twenty seven year old had finally gotten the teaching job he'd wanted which left an opening. Though, looking back, the older boy had tried to talk him out of it. He kept going on about terrible working conditions and stuff, which he now understood must have meant the animatronics trying to kill him. Yea, he was going to put of introducing his big brother to the rest of the family for as long as possible.

"Foxy," Mike said at last. "She's already become a well known author. Even though we were in the same class, she made a name for herself while I was hiding out, trying to avoid the Hunter. I was afraid... afraid that he would find me. That he'd kill me before I even had a chance to follow my dreams. But even so... I was reunited with you guys... and that made it all worth while".

As he finished, the blue eyed boy flashed them a melancholy smile before turning to walk away.

"What would a girl like her see in a worthless nobody like me anyway." He whispered, so quietly that it took his family members enhanced hearing in order to pick it up. After sharing a worried look with the others, Foxy stepped forward and gently placed his paw on Mikes shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. With a quick sigh, the young man turned back once more, meeting the golden eyes of the pirate fox.

"Ya know what I be thinking Mikey?" The swashbuckler stated, concern prominent on his face. "I be thinking that ye be more afraid now than when ya faced down that Hunter scallywag".

The young mans eyes widened in surprise. How was it that these animatronic animals were able to read him so easily? It was true though... there was no denying it. That understanding brought unbidden tears to his eyes as Bonnie continued were Foxy left off.

"You've been hurt so many times throughout your young life Mikey." She spoke softly, coming forward to wrap her arms around their child. "We only know what you've told us but... first with your parents, then your foster parents, the fire, everything that happened with that evil man... even by us. We hurt you terribly... and yet even so we made amends and will never do anything that would put your life at risk again".

One of the tears he had been keeping at bay broke free to slide down his cheek as the purple bunny reached up to wipe it away. She left her paw against his face... making sure he continued to meet her eyes.

"I know this is hard... but you have to take chances. Sure, if you don't then there's not as much of a chance that you'll be hurt... but you'll always have that nagging thought in the back of your head. What if I asked her? What if she said yes? What would my life be like if I hadn't let my fear of being hurt get the best of me? Do you understand sweetheart?" She asked, love shining in her eyes as she smiled knowingly at him.

Mike took a moment to let everything sink in. They were right, he wouldn't live his life in fear... not anymore. It was about time he took his future into his own hands.

"I understand." He stated seriously. "Thank you Bonnie, Foxy... thank you everyone".

He laughed quietly before wrapping his arms around the animatronic rabbit.

"How is it that I've learned more from you four than I've learned from my time in school?" He joked.

Everyone laughed. They knew life lessons were something that could only be learned with time, through trial and error, and they would be there for their child... helping him every step of the way until the day they were no longer needed... though they hoped that day would never come.

They dispersed shortly after to finish getting ready. The restaurant would be opening in just under an hour after all and they had to be ready to entertain the young ones. Mike retreated to his office, turning on the camera monitor as he sat down at his desk. Foxy was already back in the newly restored Pirates Cove while the other three were making their way towards the stage. With a goofy grin on his face, the new manager of Freddy Fazbears Pizza picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hello?" The bell-like voice came after the third ring. "This is Anya... can I ask who's calling"?

"Um, hi Anya... it's Mike." He said uncertainly.

"Oh hey Mike, I've been meaning to call you." She replied cheerily. "I've got an awesome idea... how about after you close up tonight we go to that cafe I told you about... you know, like on a date"?

The former guard silently thanked his lucky stars that Anya was a take charge type of person. If it had been left up to him he'd probably of talked to her about insignificant things and never gotten his nerve up to ask her out.

"Sure, that sounds perfect." He replied. "I'll meet you there at seven. Does that work for you"?

"Yup, I'll be there." The young woman responded. "It'll be great to catch up. See you later... bye".

Mike said a quick goodbye before hanging up and leaning back in his chair, imaging how the date would go and hoping he wouldn't end up making a fool of himself.

Soon enough the time came to close the pizzeria and the brown haired man found himself pacing around his office while thinking of every possible excuse not to meet Anya at the cafe.

"_I could tell her something happened to my parents." _He reasoned before mentally chastising himself. _"No that won't work, she knows that both my parents are dead. Hmm, maybe if I tell he there was a fire at the restaurant... but that's too easy to prove false. What if I just tell her the truth? That I chickened out because she's just so amazing and, well, I'm not"._

"Hey Mikey!" Chika called, skipping gleefully through the open doorway. "Everything's locked up tight for the night. Now, are you ready for your date or what"?

The playful chicken took the time to actually look over their young charge, taking in the panicked look on his face as well as his disheveled attire, before wincing slightly.

"Well, maybe not quite yet." She declared, before grabbing his hand and nearly dragging him from the room. "But your gonna look like the most handsome young man in the world by the time your auntie Chika gets done with you"!

"What?" The former guard called in shock as he was pulled up the stairs into his apartment, which the animatronic bird had just unlocked. "Chika this isn't necessary, besides it's already almost seven".

"I promise it won't take long... besides, haven't you heard of being fashionably late?" She said with a giggle.

"Ugh." Mike exhaled, resigning himself to his fate.

Chika made quick work of settling her young captive onto his bed before making her way over to his closet. She quietly hummed as she tossed his clothes every which way, looking for the perfect outfit.

"_It needs to be stylish... not to formal, but not super casual either." _She thought musingly to herself as she held up her two favorite outfits_._

In one wing she held a blue flannel shirt that matched the boys eyes and boot-cut blue jeans, in the other was a white t-shirt with a black dragon wrapping around the front, a black jacket and black designer jeans. After a short internal debate, Chika tossed the black outfit onto the bed next to the blue eyed boy.

"Okay, Mikey go get changed and then I'll see what I can do about your hair." She said, turning her back as she dug through his drawers in search of a comb and any other supplies she deemed useful.

"What's wrong with my hair?" He asked, somewhat defensively.

Chika glanced at him over her shoulder. "Well nothing's wrong with it per say, it could just do with a bit of gel and styling. Since it's gotten longer I think it would look great to spike the ends up, you know kind of give it the messy bed head look".

"Chika?" He questioned curiously. "Have you been watching anime lately"?

"Hmm, what in the world makes you think that." She stated overly innocent, before mumbling something about blond haired ninja's being awesome.

Mike decided it would be better if he left it at that and instead headed into his bathroom, reemerging a few minutes later wearing the outfit she had picked out for him.

"Get over here and sit down, we need to hurry so you can get going." The energetic animatronic called.

Upon sitting down he immediately felt Chika squirt something onto his head and begin rubbing it in with her wings. Afterwards she began twisting the ends up. Since his hair was layered this served to make it stick out it all sorts of directions. Mike fleetingly wondered how his friend was able to do stuff like this since she had wings instead of hands.

"Okay dokie loki, as soon as I use the blow dryer to make sure it stays you'll be good to go." She declared, happily.

A short while later the new owner of Freddy Fazbears Pizza was standing in front of his family downstairs, getting ready to head out the door.

"You look amazing Mikey." Bonnie stated, gently hugging the young man. "I'm sure that young lady you've told us about won't be able to take her eyes off of you".

Mike blushed crimson as Foxy smirked at him.

"That there lass won't be knowing what hit her." The pirate encouraged.

"Now don't mess up your clothes and hair before you get there." Chika ordered before winking playfully. "After all I did my best to make you look presentable".

"Sure Chika, although I don't think I looked to bad before." He expressed.

"That's what all guys think." She replied.

"What time can we expect you to return?" Freddy asked seriously.

"I should be back between nine and ten." He replied, meeting the bears gaze.

The head animatronic nodded before opening the door for the boy to pass though.

"Make sure you're careful on your way home. Who knows what kinds of lowlifes will be prowling the city by that time." The leader warned sternly yet warmth was reflected in his blue eyes.

"You don't need to worry about me Freddy." Mike said as he headed down the walk. "I'm not the little kid you knew all those years ago, I've grown up".

As the band of robotic animals watched the young man walk away Freddy spoke so that only they could hear.

"No Mikey, you may not see it but in many ways you are still the same as that child... and we will not fail you as we once failed him".

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**AN: So I hope you liked it. The flashback ended up being sadder than I'd originally planned... that actually seems to happen a lot with me. Well, anyway, I'm sorry that this took forever but as I said before I've been super busy. I have big plans for this story though and I will not abandon it, even if it takes slightly longer to update. Let me know what you think okay :)**


	4. Similar Yet Different

**AN: Surprise! I was able to find the time (and inspiration) to give you guys another chapter so soon after the last was posted :) I don't know what hit me, but oh well. Maybe it was writing that little one-shot. BTW if you haven't checked it out you should, you can find it on my page. I might consider doing other requested one-shots as well so if you'd like to pitch me your ideas just send me a PM, okay? But, just so you know, this story and the audio series come first. Yes, the 'Unexpected Attachment' audio series is still a thing. It's just been a little harder than I'd originally thought to get stuff going. Anyway, I hope you like this. I was going for a slightly more lighthearted chapter. Please let me know what you think (I don't have much experience writing romance so I hope it turns out okay). **

**Disclaimer: Who owns FNAF? Well not me that's for sure. You'd be looking for a guy by the name of Scott Cawthon.**

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Mike paced restlessly in front of the cafe. It was nearly a quarter past seven and Anya had yet to make an appearance. With nothing else to do but wait, the young mans nerves were beginning to get the better of him and he was starting to think that it would be best if he had never come. Just then, the woman he'd been waiting for rushed over to him from the opposite side of the street, coming to a halt a mere two feet away. The former guard couldn't take his eyes off her, she looked amazing! Anya was wearing a light blue long sleeved shirt that had snowflakes embroidered on the hem. Her jeans were dark blue and came down to cover her black and silver sneakers.

"Oh my gosh." She exclaimed, out of breath. "Mike, I am so sorry I'm late. I just, well... I got nervous and panicked over what I should wear".

The former guard hid his surprise. He had expected that he would be the only one who was worried about their date, apparently he was wrong though. Anya was just as worried as he was and knowing that made him feel so much better.

"Don't worry about it, I completely understand. Now let's get inside, I know it's only October... but it's freezing out here." He expressed, opening the door so the young woman could enter the cafe. "After you my lady".

"Why thank you." She giggled, joking. "But don't even try to scoot my chair in for me. I'm a perfectly capable woman".

Mike laughed, his previous anxieties melting away. "I wouldn't dream of it".

They entered the small establishment and found a nice little seat by the window. There were vintage decorations arranged throughout the small area yet it didn't seem overly cluttered. Less than a minute after they'd sat down at the table, a middle-aged waitress came over with menus.

"My goodness, aren't you two just the cutest darn couple." She declared, a southern accent falling heavily from her lips. "Now you dears just take your time and I'll be back over to take your orders shortly. Oh, I nearly forgot, don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't know what something is... some of the pastries here have pretty weird names".

Mike was left speechless as the hyper woman moved away to help more customers. He had never heard someone talk so fast in all his life... and he lived with Chika!

"Well, she was something wasn't she." He said, upon regaining his ability to talk.

"Don't be rude, Mike." Anya laughed quietly. "She was just trying to be nice".

"Nice is not the word." The former guard answered. "Anyway, what would you like. I'm paying, no protests".

"Well, if you insist... I'll have a french vanilla cappuccino and a slice of devils food cake." She decided, briefly reading through the menu before laying it to the side.

"Hmm, devils food huh... should I be worried." Mike jested.

"Maybe..." The woman trailed off as their waitress returned.

"How's everything going?" She asked, smiling widely. "Are you ready to order"?

Mike glanced back at the menu once more before nodding and handing them to the older woman.

"We'd like one french vanilla cappuccino, one sweet tea, and two slices of devil's food cake please." He ordered.

"Sure thing honey. I'll be right back with those." The middle-aged woman replied.

Mike turned his attention back to his date, taking in her black curls that fell softly against her shoulders. She was also sporting an ice blue snowflake clipped behind her left ear. After a while he noticed her staring at him and turned away, unable to hide the blush that painted his cheeks. As he took a couple minutes to recompose himself, their order arrived.

"Now, if either of you need anything else, just give me a holler and I'll be right over." The waitress spoke happily before departing once more.

They watched her go with amused expressions. After a short time Mike decided it would be as good a time as any to start up a conversation.

"You look great." He complimented. "There was absolutely no reason to be worried".

"That's so sweet." She expressed, before studying him for a few moments. "I love the outfit and you really look different with your hair like that. It's cool, I like the spiked ends".

"Yeah... one of my friends thought I should try something different with it." He explained trying to hide his embarrassment by taking a sip from his tea, though he could tell by the giggling that it was pretty ineffective. "Personally, I think she just wanted to make be look like some guy out of an anime".

Anya rose an eyebrow and smirked. "So it was a girl"?

Mike sputtered as he realized his mistake and quickly tried to correct it. "Well, sure it was a girl, but she's just a friend... more like my sister actually".

"Relax.. I was just joking." Anya laughed, playfully patting Mike on the shoulder.

The blue eyed boy gave a relieved sigh as they each took a few bites of cake.

"So, what have you been doing these last couple years." He asked curiously, wanting to hear more about his date. "Besides writing bestsellers that is".

"That's a good question." She expressed, looking away slightly as if troubled by what she was going to reveal. "I've been doing a bit of, investigating. You probably didn't know this, but my dad took off when I was little. Mom told me he just left in the middle of the night and never came back. I was too young to remember, but... mom was heartbroken.

Mikes face turned horrified. He knew that people sometimes abandoned their families, he'd just never known anyone it had actually happened to.

"Oh, Anya... I'm so sorry." He said sympathetically, wishing there was some way he could comfort her.

The young woman smiled softly. "No, it's fine, I never really knew him and it was a long time ago. My life with mom has been the best I could ever have hoped for and I wouldn't trade it for anything. But even so... I've been doing a little investigating to see if I can find out who my father is and where I can find him".

Mike gave a slightly confused look. "You don't even know your fathers name"?

"No, mom said it was best to just forget him. She threw out every picture of him and hasn't even spoken of him once since I was little and she told me the story of how he left." She explained, sadness clouding her brilliant green eyes. "I just want answers to my questions... you know? Why did you leave us? Was I not good enough? Didn't you love me? That kind of thing".

Didn't you love me? When Mike heard her say those words he visibly flinched, knowing how painful it could be when you didn't know if someone loved you. The difference between himself and Anya though was that she'd had a mother who cared for her, he'd had no one... at least not until Jeremy had managed to pry him out of his secluded little world of emptiness.

"_Come on Mikey, today's the day!" Jeremy exclaimed as he nearly dragged the younger boy through the halls. _

"_No! Please!" The blue eyed child protested, slightly panicked. "I'm not ready! Maybe we can try again some other time"?_

_The twelve year old sighed as he slowed to a stop before turning to face his adopted brother and kneeling before him, hands coming up to rest on the shorter boys shoulders. He searched his face, finding a mixture of fear, doubt, sadness, and confusion before bringing him in for a tight hug. Over the last few months the small child had confided much of what had happened since he'd entered foster care and the blonde haired boy had come to hate the couple they were forced to live with because of it. How could they take such an innocent little kid who only wanted to be loved as he once was... and turn him into the emotionless shell Jeremy had met that first day? Even now, the eight year old never socialized with the other kids and the green eyed child was resolute in his desire to change that. _

"_Listen, if you really don't think you can do this, then we'll head back to the room." He said as he got to his feet once more. "But you know what Mikey"?_

_The brown haired boy glanced up, curiosity replacing some of the negative emotions reflecting in his eyes. _

"_What?" He asked quietly._

_His older brother smiled gently and clasped one of his little hands in his own larger one. _

"_I think you're brave enough to try." He stated, giving a little tug toward the back door. "There are six other kids out there waiting to meet the real you. A couple of them even remember when you first arrived and have told me stories of the little boy who always wore a smile, no matter what happened. I'd like to see that smile return and, besides, I promised I wouldn't leave you alone... remember"?_

_Determination filled Mikes face as he nodded, not trusting his voice enough to talk. He took a deep breath and, with only a small amount of hesitation, pushed open the door leading to the playground. Jeremy smiled, relief apparent on his face as he followed the child who had just taken his first major step toward recovery. Outside they were met with the sight of the other children playing various games. The older boy led Mikey over to a bench at the side of the playground and as soon as they were seated, the rest of the foster kids gathered around them. Jeremy had explained everything to them and they were no longer afraid of the apathetic child before them, and instead, wanted to help him._

_Mike shied back, wary of the attention the others were showing him. It had been so long since anyone other than the blonde twelve year old had bothered to approach him that he was a little bit frightened by this sudden change._

"_Big brother, I'm scared." The blue eyed boy whispered, snuggling his head into the older child's side. "They're all staring at me"._

_The gathered children 'awwed' when Mikey spoke. He was the youngest child currently being housed at the foster home and even now the elder ones were realizing their mistakes. They should never have let the small boy become so isolated and withdrawn. They should have been there to help him when he'd first needed it but instead they had turned their backs, frightened by what they didn't understand. Why was it that a newcomer had done more for the youngster than they'd ever thought to do in the couple of years he'd been living with them?_

"_It's okay, there's no need to be afraid." Jeremy soothed quietly as he ran a gentle hand through the boys brown locks. "They just want to know you and be your friends"._

"_Friends?" The little boy asked in surprise, glancing up at the other kids._

"_That's right." The green eyed child said honestly. "Are you okay with that"?_

_Mike thought for a few moments before giving a tiny nod. "I guess so"._

_With a relieved sigh the twelve year old pulled the smaller child into a tight embrace. _

"_I'm so proud of you." He announced, pulling back enough to look into the younger boys eyes. "See Mikey, there are people who like you... you've just got to be brave enough to find them"._

_The words spoken that day would remain in the child's heart, always reminding him that he is not alone. He's already got a brother and one day he'll find the rest of his family... he just has to be patient and wait._

Mike blinked the memory away and reached out to place a comforting hand on Anya's forearm.

"I'm sure your father loved you... maybe he just felt that he couldn't take care of you and your mom." He stated, reassuringly.

"Yeah, maybe." She replied, a far away look in her eyes.

Mike decided it would be better to change the topic and started talking about their collage days. It wasn't until an hour later that he noticed how dark it had gotten.

"Hey, how about we finish up here and then I walk you back to the hotel. It's getting pretty late and I don't want anything to happen to you." Mike stated seriously as he glanced at his watch.

Anya pulled out her phone, astonishment showing on her face as she saw the time.

"Oh my gosh!" She exclaimed, gathering her stuff together as she quickly finished her drink. "My mom was expecting me back twenty minutes ago. She's gonna be so worried! Okay, I'm gonna text her and say we're on our way".

Mike couldn't help letting out a little chuckle at how adorable the young woman looked in her current frenzied state.

"It's not funny Mike!" She cried, grabbing his hand and trying to pull him out of his chair. "I swear, my mom is the most over-protective person on the planet. I once got home late from work (I'd left a note to let her know but she never found it), only to find two policemen talking to her in our living room... she was trying to file a missing persons report"!

"I thought you had to wait twenty-four hours before you could do that." He stated, as they walked toward the counter.

"That's actually not true." She replied. "If they have a relevant cause to be worried for the persons safety then they don't need to wait".

"Oh... I guess we'd better hurry then... I'd really like it if she doesn't tell the cops I kidnapped you or something." The former guard said, paying the bill.

"That would probably be for the best." The green eyed woman agreed.

Nearly ten minutes later the two reached the door of the hotel room where Anya was staying with her mother.

"Thanks for walking with me Mike." She said, glancing up at him as she dug in her purse for her key-card. "It means a lot to me... it really does".

The young man shrugged his shoulders slightly. "It was nothing, I was able to spend more time with you this way".

They both blushed as Mike leaned down, eyes closed. Anya reached up, placing her arms around his shoulders and brought her face closer to his... ready to share their first kiss. Just then the door opened, revealing a relieved looking Mrs. Kittner.

"Oh Anya, I've been so worried." she exclaimed, pushing Mike out of the way so she could reach her daughter. "I was just about to call the police when I got your text. Please don't be so careless next time, you nearly gave me heart failure".

"Now get inside..." She stated quickly pushing the younger woman through the door, effectively ignoring her protests to wait. "You and I need to have a talk about getting home on time".

She swiftly closed the door before turning to face the young man who stood bewildered in the hallway a short distance away.

"Now Mike, thank you so much for getting my Anya home safely." She professed gratefully. "I was so glad when she told me that you were her date for tonight. I knew that you would have the utmost respect for my daughter and could be trusted not to try anything".

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she said that and Mike gulped. Just because this woman had been his favorite teacher in collage didn't mean she couldn't be darn right scary when she wanted to be... just ask anyone who had failed her class.

Her face morphed back into a smile as she took a step forward to wrap the young man in a warm embrace.

"It's been really nice seeing you again Mike, and thanks once more for not letting anything happen to Anya. She's my whole world and I just don't know what I'd do if something ever happened to her." The middle-aged woman expressed worriedly. "Now we really must be saying goodnight. I would hate to keep you any longer when I'm sure you need to get home so you can rest. Running that restaurant must be such a tiring job".

Mike knew the older woman wanted him to leave and he really didn't want to get on her bad side, especially not if he wanted to continue seeing Anya, so he figured it was best to head home.

"Okay, have a good night." He replied, cheerfully. "Please tell Anya goodnight as well".

He turned to walk back towards the entrance of the hotel but before he'd made it more than a few steps he heard Mrs. Kittner speak once more.

"Don't worry, I will." She spoke.

Soon after, the sound of a closing door echoed through the corridor.

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

As the brown haired man followed the walkway up to the pizzeria he noticed something glimmering in the darkness and went to investigate. Upon taking a closer look at the stone path, he gasped. Littered up and down the route in a five feet span were many tiny slivers of glass. It wouldn't pierce his shoes but that didn't mean he could just leave it... kids played here after all. He quickly made his way up to the door, planning of grabbing a broom and dustpan from inside to clean up the mess, only to find a familiar looking piece of paper pinned to the door. He angrily ripped it free and stuffed it in his pocket before continuing his original mission. It took nearly an hour to get all the glass shards picked up and thrown in the trash, but the young man figured it was worth losing a little sleep in order to make sure the children would be safe.

"_I'm glad I finally finished, I'm looking forward to bed."_ He thought as he climbed the stairs, being careful not to alert the resting animatronics. _"But first, I'd better check out that note"._

Mike unlocked his door and slowly entered the darkened room, flipping on the light switch as he made his way to his bed. Upon taking a seat, the young man hesitantly reached into his pocket and pulled out the offending piece of paper.

His voice broke with dread as he read the words that were written...

"I hope your date went well and didn't fall to pieces like shattered glass".

* * *

**AN: I really hope you liked this chapter. Please let me know what you think.**


	5. Not How He'd Planned

**AN: It's been quite a while but I don't have much free time lately. I also didn't like how this chapter originally turned out and ended up rewriting the whole thing. It's not the best I've ever written but I still hope you enjoy it. Thanks so much for all your support. It means the world to me. Let me know what you think of this. Your reviews help keep me motivated ;)**

**Disclaimer: FNAF always has and always will belong to Scott Cawthon. I own nothing other than the plot of this story and any Ocs I have used.**

* * *

Sleep was out of the question as Mikes brain played over the events that had led to him finding the disturbing note. The only people he had told about his date were his four animatronic family members... he hadn't even told his older brother. But what could it mean? Could it be that whoever was doing this just wanted to sabotage the business? No... that didn't fit, there had to be more to it. If that was their goal, why try to hurt him with the flower pot? The pizzeria would have kept operating without him, even if it would close for a short while to find a new manager. That meant the only thing left it could be...

"Is me." Mike whispered, voice nearly inaudible in the stillness. "They're after me."

Ever since the incident last week, the young man had been trying to convince himself that it wasn't what he thought, someone was playing a trick on him... that's all. Now it seemed he had been proven wrong. Someone was out there... watching... waiting... planning. Someone wanted to hurt him... again. But the question was why? What had he done that was so terrible as to warrant this. His mind immediately switched to thoughts of the Hunter. Was it one of his lackeys wanting revenge or, just maybe, this was something completely new? That thought terrified him and as the former guard felt sleep finally take him he couldn't help but pray...

"_Please, don't let any of my loved ones suffer this time... they've already been through so much."_

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

Freddy and the others were busy setting up for the day, though since it was a Monday they knew there wouldn't be as many customers as there were over the weekend. It was nearly seven and Mike had yet to make an appearance. The robotic animals weren't too worried, however, after all it was an eventful night for their child. A few moments later sounds were heard from upstairs and the slamming of a door signaled Mikes arrival downstairs.

"Sorry I'm late guys. I just couldn't get to sleep last night and..." The young man was cut off by Foxy as the pirate wrapped his hook arm around the boys neck using his good hand to give the young man a nuggie.

"Aye, matey. It be no problem." The swashbuckler declared, a playful grin on his face as he released the lad from the headlock. "Mayhaps it was cause ye were caught up in yer thoughts of that lass, Anya?"

Mikes face took on a reddish hue as he quickly denied the statement. With an embarrassed huff, the brown haired youth strode over to the entrance, fully intent on ignoring the raucous laughter he heard behind him. He was so focused on his task, as well as willing the blush to fade, that he failed to notice the man staring intently at him from across the street.

"Let's get this place opened." Mike proclaimed as he turned back to the others, having taken a few moments to recompose himself. "There are kids waiting for you to entertain!"

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

The day passed slowly with minimal problems for the new manager. He mostly walked around making sure the parents had no complaints while making sure the children were having fun. When he wasn't doing that, Mike spent his time in the office trying to decipher the reason behind the notes. No matter how hard he thought though, the blue eyed boy couldn't figure it out. The messages that had been left were both personal and menacing yet seemed completely random otherwise. The only thing that tied them together was the fact that someone has obviously been watching him.

_'How did I fail to notice?' _He asked himself, placing his head in his hands. '_I can't be that naive, can I? No way, they must be keeping their distance or are wearing a disguise or... or something.'_

A soft sound at the door caught his attention and Mike quickly lifted his head up. Bonnie was standing in the doorway with a look of concern plastered on her purple face.

"Mike, it's closing time." She said quietly, shifting her gaze back the way she'd come. "The others were wondering if you wanted us to lock up. You weren't coming so we thought it would be best to check on you."

The young man quickly stood, casting a apologetic look at the robotic rabbit.

"Sorry Bonnie, I guess I got lost in my thoughts. I didn't realize what time it was was getting to be." He stated as he scooted past her in the doorway.

She stopped him, her paw coming up to land on his shoulder, forcing him to stop and listen to what she had to say.

"Are you sure you're all right." She asked worriedly. "You seem more distant than usual. You know you can tell me if something is bothering you, the others too... we're all here for you if you need us."

"I know." Mike said, not bothering to turn around as he brushed the paw off and continued walking.

Bonnie sighed as she slowly followed the former guard. She knew he was keeping something from them, but couldn't figure out what.

"_He's definitely gotten better at hiding stuff from us." _She frowned in realization, letting out a little growl in the process. _"He must have learned it at that foster home. I remember when he was little he couldn't lie to save his life."_

Watching the boy disappear down the hall, the purple bunny couldn't help but get lost in her memories.

_The small child ran between the tables, nearly knocking a chair over as he rounded a corner at the far end of the room. Looking back to make sure it stayed upright, Mikey accidentally tripped over a cord causing the mic stand to fall off the stage. A loud metallic clang filled the air as the attention of the band was drawn to the small five year old currently residing on the floor. Since it was nearly closing time there were only a couple families still occupying the restaurant. Bonnie calmly walked over to the boy and helped him back to his feet before kneeling before him._

"_Mikey did you knock the mic stand down?" She asked, noticing the object that had caused the ruckus. _

"_Yes, but it was an accident." The small blue eyed boy replied. _

"_How did it happen?" The rabbit animatronic asked, already knowing the answer. _

_Mikey looked at the floor, avoiding her eyes. _

"_I was just walking and... tripped on the cord?" He said in a near whisper, his reply ending up being more of a question than a statement._

_Bonnie sighed, placing a paw on each of his shoulders, she gently turned his head so he was facing her._

"_Now Mikey, I want you to tell me the truth." She stated seriously. "How did the mic stand fall off the stage?"_

_The small boy shuffled his feet nervously before speaking. "But Bonnie... I did tell you the truth."_

_The rabbit rose to her feet and stared down at the child, paws on her hips and a disappointed look upon her face. She had watched the event play out with her own eyes and, as she stood there, came to the realization that this would be a good experience for their child to learn from._

"_Do you know what lying is, Mikey?" The purple animatronic questioned firmly._

"_Y...yes." The youngster answered as he fidgeted._

"_Then you know how bad you can get in trouble for it." She declared as she once more knelt before the kid. "You don't want to get in trouble do you?"_

"_No." The blue eyed boy declared. "I don't."_

"_Then can you tell me what really happened?" Bonnie demanded, her tone resolute yet still kind._

_The brown haired child burst into tears as he flung himself forward, clinging to the purple bunny._

"_I was running and didn't pay attention. My leg caught on the cord and it fell." He admitted in a rush, burying his tiny face into Bonnies fur. "I didn't mean too... I promise!"_

_She softly patted his back, comforting the small boy and shushing him so she could speak without needing to raise her voice._

"_I know you didn't sweetheart." She announced, placing a small kiss on the distressed childs forehead. "I was more upset that you tried to lie about it than I was with the way it had actually happened. Now, I want you to go sit with your parents for the next five minutes and think about how bad it is to lie and how you just get into more trouble by doing so."_

_Mikey sniffled dejectedly but nodded none the less. "Okay Bonnie." _

_The robotic rabbit hugged the boy once more as she said. "You're a good boy Mikey... You just made a little mistake. You'll learn... after all, we all make mistakes."_

_She smiled somberly as Mike slowly walked back to his parents table and took his seat._

"_I hope he'll remember this lesson." Bonnie whispered as she watched the downhearted child for a few moments before turning and placing the stand back on the stage where it belonged._

Mike hurried towards the door, ignoring the concerned stares the others were sending him. The sooner he locked up for the night, the sooner he could retreat to the solitude of his room and decide on a plan of action. He had just finished turning the key when a loud knock sounded in the stillness, shaking the entire door. The former guard leapt in the air like a startled kitten, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. Breathing heavily, the young man risked a glance through the window... finding a figure standing there, a hood hiding any discernible features.

_'Who could that be?'_ He asked himself, starting to tremble slightly. _'What if it's the person who's been leaving those notes? What should I do?'_

Another, more persistent knock, came from the door... quickly followed by a voice.

"Hey, let me in... it's freezing out here!" The man shouted as he peered through the window at the startled manager.

Mike had immediately recognized that voice and let out a relieved laugh as his worries seemed to melt away. The robotic animals gathered around, watching the scene unfold as their youngest once more unlocked the door before whipping it open.

"Get in here before you end up catching a cold." He stated, pulling the slightly taller figure through the entryway.

"It should be my job to worry about you..." The stranger declared, pulling back his hood to reveal golden blonde hair and sparkling green eyes. "Right, little brother?"

"LITTLE BROTHER!" The animatronics shouted, uncaring that they had just revealed themselves to this unfamiliar person.

Jeremy's gaze shift and his eyes filled with a protective glint as he pushed the startled former guard behind him.

"Jer? What are you..." Mike was cut off as the older male turned to him, still keeping both eyes on the robotic mascots.

"Mikey... I know you've told me that these, things, aren't evil." The blonde began, pent up fury rolling off him in waves as he glared at the band. "But I still don't trust them. What if they're just biding their time before they decide to return to their wicked ways. I refuse to let my little bro be stuffed into one of those god forsaken suits!"

Mike let out an exasperated breath as the robotic members of his family remained frozen in place, worried that if they moved even a little it would cause the other human to become even more agitated.

"We've been through this." The blue eyed boy said, slightly irritated as he placed a calming hand on the others forearm... this was definitely not how he'd planned on introducing his two families to each other. "They didn't know what they were doing. They truly believed that the guards were endoskeletons."

The teacher whipped around, fully facing the younger man as his anger got the better of him.

"You know full well that doesn't excuse what they've done!" He shouted, his right arm flying out to point toward the stunned animatronics. "They've killed people... tried to killed me... and look what they've put you through! You thought of them as family and they betrayed that bond. You nearly died because of them... TWICE!"

Jeremy's eyes filled with regret as he saw his adopted little brother flinch away from him, hurt evident in his eyes. Holding up both arms in a calming gesture... he took a few steps closer to the twenty-three year old.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that." The green eyed man apologized. "I was just so worried about you Mike. You wouldn't listen to me when I said you should forget about working here... and then all that crap happened with the Hunter. I guess I'm more mad at myself than anyone else. I wasn't able to be here to protect you... I let you down."

Mike closed the distance between himself and Jeremy, swiftly wrapping the elder in a gentle embrace.

"Don't say that! You never let me down." He declared. "You can't always be there when something happens, you've got your own life to live... your own dreams to follow. I'll be fine, I'm not alone anymore."

"But..." The golden haired youth began to protest, only to be interrupted by a certain pirate fox.

"He be right laddie. Ye can't be holding the world on yer shoulders." Foxy agreed, taking a few cautious steps closer to the duo.

"And what would you know about it fox?" The blonde haired former guard replied, turning rage filled eyes on the pirate.

"I be knowing more than ye think." The pirate admitted, sorrow filling his golden eyes. "We be doing our fair share of making mistakes and if it hadn't been fer Mikey here, we'd still be holed up in our own private pity parties. He taught us that we be more than the monsters we'd become... that we were still ourselves and that it be okay to forgive ourselves. We've learned from the past wrongs we've committed, now ye need to learn to let go of what ya be having no control over."

Mike nodded in agreement as he moved to stand before his second family, still facing Jeremy, arms spread wide as he gestured to the animatronics behind him.

"I know this is probably difficult for you, but these four... Freddy, Bonnie, Chika, and Foxy... they're my family too." He expressed fondly. "They've proven themselves over and over since those first few days, and I trust them with my life... literally. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for these guys..."

He cast a glance over his shoulder, taking in the loving gazes. He hoped his brother could see the sincerity reflected in the faces of those who were so important to him.

Turning back to face the older man, he continued in a saddened tone. "Please Jer... Don't make me choose between you."

The teacher could see the fear hidden within the boys blue eyes. He was terrified of loosing his new found family and Jeremy realized that if he forced Mike to make that choice... it would likely destroy him. Whether he liked it or not, his brother had adopted these dangerous creatures into his life... and the least he could do for him was give them the benefit of the doubt.

Pulling out his cell, Jeremy quickly pulled up his bosses number before clicking the call button.

"Hey David... I won't be able to come back to work for awhile. There's been a bit of a family emergency" He said into the phone after the person answered. "Okay, thanks. Sorry to drop this on ya so suddenly. You're sure you can find a long term sub on such short notice?"

"What's going on?" Mike questioned, utterly confused.

His brother held up one finger, silently telling him to hold on for a moment as he finished up the call. Slipping the phone back into his pocket, Jeremy turned back to his impatient brother.

"There's no way I'm letting you stay here." The green eyed man stated seriously, glaring at the younger male when he tried to interrupt. "At least not on your own. I'll be staying with you until I feel completely confident that these guys mean you no harm."

A huge smile erupted on the young managers face as he rushed forward, coming to a halt just inches away from the older man.

"Really? Are you sure?" Mike began excitedly. "I mean, it's not that I don't want you here, I do... It's just that I thought you'd..."

He was about to say more when Jeremy placed a hand firmly over his mouth.

"I wasn't finished. I want you to know that if I see anything, and I mean ANYTHING, that makes me think this place isn't one hundred percent safe." He whispered menacingly as he cast a cold stare over Mikes head. "I won't hesitate to take you as far away from here as possible before returning to send these troublesome animatronics off to the scrape yard."

Mikes head was spinning. He couldn't believe what had just happened. His brother had showed up out of the blue and is now going to be living with him for an unknown amount of time. To add to that, if anything bad happens during that time it could mean the end of his new family! It was just too much to take in all at once and the brown haired boy felt his eyes roll back in his head as the ground rose to meet him.

Everyone present gaze a shrill cry as they saw Mike lose the battle with consciousness. Jeremy, being the closest, managed to catch a hold of the younger male mere moments after he'd begun to fall and was now sitting on the ground with the boys head in his lap. It didn't take long for him to notice the dark circles surrounding the closed eyes of the former guard and he glanced up at the clearly worried robotic animals.

"Have you guys noticed if Mike's been having trouble sleeping?" He asked in concern, knowing that he would have to talk to the animatronics if he was going to get his question answered.

"In fact... the lad has been having difficulty with that for a couple of weeks now." Freddy stated knowingly. "It began shortly after the grand re-opening but has gotten worse as of late."

"We figured it was due to the stress from his new job so we've been helping him out anyway we can." Chika piped up, worry etched on her yellow face.

Jeremy listened in silence before turning his head toward the rabbit as she began speaking.

"We've tried telling him that he can tell us if something is bothering him but he refuses to say anything." Bonnie declared, a paw coming up to rest on her chin before continuing in a more subdued voice. "I can tell he's hiding something from us though..."

"What makes you say that?" The blonde wondered aloud, wanting to hear the full story.

"Well, he's just been acting more jumpy than usual and he's started to retreat back into his shell." she expressed sadly.

"Aye," Foxy agreed. "It be reminding me of the first few weeks after the Hunter predicament. Back then he be really quiet and withdrawn... still not completely at ease around us even after everything that be happening."

"It took some time, probably less than it should have thanks to that madman, but we finally regained his complete trust." The leader declared, somberly. "We wish, more than anything, that our child will never be forced to endure another event such as the ones he has already survived. We want his life to be filled with joy and would never do anything that would jeopardize his safety. If something is troubling him we should continue to support him in the hope that he will eventually tell us what it is.

"But what if he doesn't?" The green eyed teacher demanded. "What if it just gets worse and he pulls away from all of us? What then?"

"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that." The bear replied solemnly. "If it does... we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Five concerned gazes turned toward the unconscious boy cradled in his older brothers arms, each caught in their own thoughts of what their youngest was hiding from them... and why.

* * *

**AN: This was a bit of a slower paced chapter but don't worry there will eventually be some action later on. Anyway, I hope you liked it. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. As always thanks so much for all your support :)**


	6. What Happened

**AN: Hey everyone... I know this is pretty late again. I meant to post it sooner than this but I've been having some pretty bad writers block lately. I hope you can forgive me. I want you to know that I am not going to give up on this story, though the updates will most likely be sporadic like the last few have been. I'll try to do better and get over the writers block so hopefully it'll work. Anyway, I'm pretty happy with how this chapter turned out and I hope you'll like it. If you do don't forget to leave a review... it really helps. Thanks :)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned FNAF it would be less horror and more fluff... so no, I don't own it. That honor belongs only to Scott Cawthon.**

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Mike awoke in his bed and glanced around in confusion. How had he gotten there? He couldn't remember anything after Bonnie had appeared in the office entryway. A sound outside his room drew his attention and he sat up as the door slowly opened to reveal the smiling face of his older brother. All at once the memories of last night came rushing back, and with them... the anxiety that he may be pulled away from the non human members of his unusual family. The younger man watched in silence as Jeremy sat a tray of food on the bedside table, refusing to meet his eyes before quickly retreating back the way he'd come.

"Seriously!" Mike cried in disbelief, causing the teacher to pause halfway through the doorway. "You aren't even going to say anything?"

The older man glanced over his shoulder and replied. "I only want what's best for you, little brother. If that means taking you away from here... then that's what I'll do."

Without giving the new manager time to answer, Jeremy made his escape downstairs. The blue eyed boy sighed in exasperation, pinching the bridge of his nose. He had only just awoken and already he was beginning to feel the early warning signs of a headache coming on. He had spoken to his brother several times on the phone in the past year, trying to reassure him that he was safe and that the others meant him no harm. In all honesty though, he was surprised the older man hadn't shown up several months ago. How was Mike supposed to deal with everything that's been going on while trying to make sure his home didn't turn into a war zone? Concluding that it would be better if he figured that out at a later time, the young man decided to take relax for a while before heading downstairs. Upon hearing a loud crash coming from below, he swiftly changed his mind and rushed towards the door, hurriedly making his way to the first floor of the pizzeria.

"Hey, is everyone alri..." Mike trailed off as he caught sight of the destruction that was littered around the restaurant.

"_Looks like I'm too late, it seems a war already happened." _He thought to himself as he surveyed the devastation.

The chairs and tables were in disarray, with a few of them tipped over completely. Scattered pizza boxes could be seen trailing out from the kitchen doorway as the welcome banner hung precariously from one of it's four ties above the entrance. The deflated remains of what had once been an assortment of colorful balloons littered the stage around the fallen mic stand. Turning his head in the opposite direction, the former guard glimpsed even more damage. The curtains to pirates cove had been completely torn down as well as several of the childrens drawings. A puddle of water spread out from the open closet door where a metal bucket could be seen. Suddenly a muffled noise sounded from the office making Mikes head snap towards the sound. He crept, ever so slowly, down the hall... grabbing a broken broom handle as he went. Upon reaching the open doorway, he silently counted to three before rushing into the office, his makeshift weapon raised for the attack.

"Rhaa!" The scream died on his lips as he took in the scene before him.

Foxy was currently being held back by Bonnie and Chika as he shouted insults, trying in vain to break free of the girls holds. The bunny and chicken where both trying to calm down the enraged fox but to no avail. All three had their backs turned towards the former guard. Mikes attention was drawn to the other side of the room as a familiar voice rang out above the rest.

"Let go of me you stupid bear!" Jeremy screamed as he struggled against Freddy's hold.

The robotic animal had both arms wrapped around the blond man, pinning his arms to his side.

Mike had seen enough. He didn't know what had happened to have caused this... but he was not going to allow this kind of behavior in the restaurant.

"Enough!" He yelled, arms crossed firmly in front of him as he glared at the rooms occupants.

Animatronic and human alike stopped in their tracks, Bonnie and Chika letting go of Foxy as Freddy released Jeremy from his hold.

"What happened?" The blue eyed boy ground out through clenched teeth.

No one dared meet the eyes of their youngest family member, instead they chose to guiltily stare at the floor. Mike took a calming breath as he turned towards the groups leader.

"Freddy... please tell me what happened?" He asked more calmly. "What's going on between Jer and Foxy... and does it have anything to do with why the restaurant looks like a twister ripped through here?"

The bear gave an irritated sigh before briefly glaring at the aforementioned duo.

"It began shortly after Mr. Fitzgerald here returned downstairs from delivering your breakfast. We were about to start practice on a new song Bonnie had written when Foxy insinuated that it was your brothers fault that you collapsed yesterday. Jeremy overheard and in turn brought up how Foxy had caused you injury shortly after you began work here. Everything escalated from there. Bonnie, Chika, and myself have been trying to stop them... but even when we manage to pull the two apart they just resort to spitting insults at each other."

Mike ran a weary hand through his hair as he turned disappointed eyes on the guilty party. He could see some new scratches and dents running alone the robotic foxes torso as well as several nasty looking bruises peeking out from under his brothers shirt. The thought that his family members were hurting each other nearly brought tears to his eyes. His face hardened as he took a few breaths before letting the anger that had been building inside him since he'd first come upon the incident loose on the two unsuspecting foes.

"What were you thinking!?" He yelled, marching up and grabbing both by an ear. "What did you assume would happen once I found out about this? Did you think I'd be happy seeing two of the most important people in my life fighting like this? If you think this is what I'd want then you don't know me at all! I... I just want everyone... to..."

The former guard collapsed to his knees, hand automatically reaching up to grasp his chest as his breathing came in short, painful gasps. Immediately the hostility between the human and animatronic vanished for the time being, replaced instead by a mutual fear for their youngest. Everyone gathered around unsure as to what they could do to help. They settled on speaking soothing words while running comforting hands up and down his back until the young man finally gave a sigh of relief as the pain dissipated. When he glanced back up however, his family noticed the lingering fear hidden within the depths of his brilliant blue gaze and couldn't help the feeling of dread that instilled itself in their hearts.

"Michael," Freddy spoke, finally breaking the silence. "You must try not to get so worked up. Remember, your heart has been weakened and can not handle the same amount of stress it had before. You should return to your rooms and rest. There's no need to worry, we'll take care of cleaning this place up and have it ready before opening tomorrow. Oh... and don't worry, I'll think of a suitable punishment for these two.

"Maybe you're right." Mike conceded as he turned to leave the room. "I don't want to see anything like this happening again... do you hear me? It tears me apart seeing the ones I love fighting like this."

With that the boy made his exit, leaving the animatronic fox and remaining human with a dawning revelation. They had been the cause of the stress that, had it been worse, could have taken Mikey away from them. That possibility scared them to no end. With an unspoken agreement the two enemies decided that they would try not to cause the boy any more unnecessary stress. They were so wrapped up in their thoughts that they had nearly missed when Freddy approached them to explain their penalty.

"The girls and myself are going to start cleaning up the pizzeria." The leader declared. "In the meantime... I want you both to go to pirates cove and talk through your differences. I don't want to see either of you until you can have a civil conversation with each other... and I won't be taking no for an answer."

The looks of horror that appeared on their faces made Freddy chuckle darkly as he stalked away with Chika and Bonnie to begin the long, arduous process of cleaning up. Foxy and Jeremy shared a slightly frightened look as they turned tail, heading for pirates cove.

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

Mike sat on his bed thinking back on what had just happened. It was like his heart was trying to explode within his chest. The pain had been so horrendous that, for a moment, he thought he was going to die right then and there. It had occurred so suddenly and without any sign of warning, bringing with it memories of his last near death experience.

_Pain... that was all he knew. His body had fallen to the floor shortly after he had dropped the taser but he barely registered that fact as the electricity continually racked his convulsing frame. He couldn't scream... he couldn't even open his mouth to try due to his locked jaw. _

"_I don't care if I die here." Mike thought to himself fleetingly. "I did it... I protected my loved ones... that's all that matters to me." _

_He had barely finished that thought when he felt the sensation of being pulled and the pain suddenly receded, leaving him numb but for a dull ache covering his entire body. He lay there, twitching uncontrollably, as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. Somehow he was still alive... but how? His eyes finally managed to focus and he could make out the blurry image of Bonnie hovering over him. _

"_Wha..."_ _Mike tried to speak, but found himself unable to say even one word as he lay in the purple rabbits lap._

"_Shh." He heard Bonnie trying to comfort him as she held a paw to his tear stained face... when had he started crying? "It'll be okay. You're gonna be fine. Just stay with me."_

_He couldn't keep his eyes open and they started to slip shut as he noticed the tears streaming down his friends gentle face. He wanted so badly to comfort her but was unable to. Mike hadn't even realized the others had arrived until he heard Freddy say something about an ambulance. He listened as the others began to speak but couldn't make out any of what they were saying. The convulsions had stopped a short while ago and the boy could feel his consciousness slowly slipping away as his breathing became more shallow and his eyes closed for what he thought would be the final time. The last thing he saw before letting himself be pulled into the dark abyss were the worried looks on his families faces._

_The next thing he knew It felt as if he were floating in a dark abyss... devoid of any feeling. _

"_Am I dead?" The young man thought to himself moments before cracking his eyes open slightly._

_Pain assaulted his senses as a blinding light glared down on him. Blinking his eyes a few times to adjust to the light, Mike let out a startled noise. Stationed around the room were the four animatronics of Freddy Fazbears Pizza. They had all jumped to their feet when they realized that their youngest member was awake and were currently staring at him with concerned faces, unsure what they could do for the injured boy. Mike opened his mouth to speak but was unable to make a sound as a coughing fit ripped from his parched throat. _

"_Here Mikey, drink this." Bonnie said, holding up a glass of water with a straw so the guard could drink._

_After swallowing some of the cool liquid, the blue eyed boy smiled tiredly at his adoptive family._

"_Thanks." He whispered weakly, unable to speak any louder._

"_Ye be having no reason to thank us lad." Foxy declared, melancholy echoing in his voice. "We should be the ones doing the thanking. If it hadn't been fer ye quick thinking... we may not have made it out of that predicament."_

"_It was nothing." Mike claimed nonchalantly as he tried to sit up. "It was the least I could do since you risked your lives to save me."_

_Freddy placed a paw on the boys uninjured shoulder, pushing him back down on the bed._

"_Rest Michael." Freddy declared. "You're body needs time to heal. You shouldn't force yourself."_

_Giving in, Mike laid back on the pillows, eyes closing slightly as exhaustion took over. He was nearly asleep when a nagging question came to the forefront of his mind._

"_How did you guys get here anyway?" He asked, barely able to keep his eyes open._

_Chika came forward, a smile shining on her robotic features as she gave him a playful wink._

"_It's our little secret." She spoke in a sing-song voice, unable to hide the mirth she felt knowing that their child would be okay. "Anyway... we better be going before the sun rises otherwise we'll really be in trouble."_

"_We'll be waiting fer ya back at the pizzeria matey." Foxy declared as he made his way over to the window on his newly repaired legs. "Ye just be sure to rest up fer now and take care of yerself."_

"_I've left some things on the bedside table to entertain you when you feel up to it. I know the mischief you get yourself into when you're bored." Bonnie stated, giving their child a gentle hug before following after the robotic pirate. _

"_I'll be sure to make your favorite pizza when you come back to work." Chika exclaimed, bouncing over to their exit. "After all, I've heard hospital food is pretty terrible." _

_The boy watched as the three climbed out, only then did he let the fear he felt at being left alone show on his face. It wasn't until he felt a firm grip on his shoulder that he realized Freddy hadn't followed the others through the window. Instead he was standing next the young man, a reassuring paw now lightly rubbing circles on the injured boys head._

"_There is nothing to fear now." The bear spoke seriously. "The Hunter won't be bothering you anytime soon and I guarantee that you will be safe. It won't be long... soon you'll be back at the pizzeria and we can pick up where we left off before this mess."_

_Mike gave a slow nod and snuggled deeper into his covers as the lead animatronic made his way out the window to join the others. As he let the exhaustion pull him back to sleep, the young guard knew that his family would be waiting for him... no matter how long it would take._

Shuddering as he came back to reality, Mike gasped as residual pain shot through his chest. The boy knew that it would be best to take Freddy's advice and get some rest but his mind was racing. What would he do if Foxy and his brother kept acting the way they had earlier. He didn't know if he would be able to watch as they fought. What if one of them was badly hurt? It would most likely be Jeremy since he was human. If that happened... would he blame Foxy for it? Would it tear them apart? He didn't want to take that chance! With that last thought Mike got off the bed and started pacing, thinking of how he could get the pirate and teacher to become friends.

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

In Pirates Cove things were going about as well as could be expected. Foxy sat upon his pirate chest glaring at Jeremy who, in turn, was sat on one of the tables glaring right back. Neither had spoken a word since they'd first entered the room and neither was looking to break the silence. In truth, though they were glaring at each other, their minds were on a completely different matter. Finding common ground so that they wouldn't put any more stress on Mike... which, in reality, was easier said than done when they hadn't even managed to discuss the subject out loud.

Nearly an hour later Foxy jumped down off his chest and moved to stand a few feet away from the blond haired human. He rubbed his head nervously with his hook before resignedly sticking out his good hand towards Jeremy. The teacher had watched the fox approach with wary eyes, unsure what the animatronic was planning. The least expected thing being that he would want to shake hands. Yet that is exactly what happened... and looking into the golden eyes of the pirate, Jeremy understood. The fox cared for his little brother as much as he did and if keeping the youngest safe meant swallowing his pride and forming a truce... Foxy would gladly do so. A new respect bloomed in his heart as he took the swashbucklers hand in his own. A silent agreement passing between the two.

"So how do ye propose we go about working things out?" Foxy asked, taking a seat near the other male.

"I guess it would be best if we agree not to make such rash comments like we did earlier." Jeremy replied, shrugging his shoulders. "If we don't have anything positive to say we should just keep our mouths shut."

Foxy thought about it for a moment before nodding his head decisively. "I suppose ye be right. I'll be mighty careful not to be letting any belittling thoughts escape me head."

Jeremy gave a small half grin before adding. "And I agree to give you guys a chance."

His face turned cold moments later, sending shivers down the animatronic foxes spine as he continued. "But as I told Mike, if I even suspect that he is in danger... I will take him from this place without a second thought."

Foxy shook himself to get rid of the feeling creeping down his back, just how this human managed to scare him is something he'd never understand. He stood and placed his hand on the humans shoulder, slightly surprised when the lad didn't jerk away.

"If we be doing anything that be putting me little matey in danger..." The fox paused, eyes misty as he remembered the day he had rushed into the office. "I wouldn't try to stop ya from taking him as far away from here as ye could."

They met each others eyes, understanding showing in their eyes as the apprehension they had been feeling faded somewhat. Neither knew if what they had just discussed would come to pass and, in all actuality, neither of them wanted it to. They just wanted their little brother to be safe and happy. So much had happened in his young life... he deserved to have a little peace. The remainder of the afternoon was spent in casual conversation, both wanting to know more about the other, and as the day drew to a close... the two remained unaware of the presence lingering nearby.

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**AN: So... I hope you liked it. Thanks as always for all the support, it means so much to me to know that you've all been enjoying this story. I hope you will continue to enjoy it as well. Please let me know what you think by leaving a review. See ya next chapter ;)**


	7. Family Matters

**AN: Okay, so this is were I stand... I have started loosing interest in this story so updates may be sporadic. I've been having an extremely difficult time focusing on this and I hate to try to force myself because it shows in my writing. I've been working on this chapter on and off for the past few months and I'll admit... it's probably not one of my better chapters. Anyway... I AM NOT GIVING UP ON THIS STORY! It will eventually be finished but if there are similar breaks in the future I deeply apologize. I've been writing some things for other fandoms and they seem to have boosted my resolve a bit. I was able to get this done in between their chapters being posted so yay me! Again, I'm sorry that I've been inactive on this for so long. I really hope you can forgive me. As always thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: Scott Cawthon owns FNAF. It's a good thing I don't or nothing probably would have gotten done.**

* * *

Smiling to himself, Mike scooted back around the corner before exiting Pirates Cove, staying in the shadows so as not to be seen. It would seem that his plan was unneeded seeing as how Jeremy and Foxy had managed to work things out for themselves. Still, he decided that it couldn't hurt to keep an eye on them for awhile. The last thing the boy wanted was for another event such as the one that had transpired earlier in the day to happen again.

"_Maybe they can learn to be friends." _He thought optimistically as he got dressed for bed. _"Or at least try not be so obvious with their dislike."_

The young man fell into a peaceful slumber, his mind free of the stress he had felt earlier. The next day went much smoother. Foxy and Jeremy didn't start any fights and even shared a few quick words whenever they ran into each other. It filled Mike with hope that his thoughts from the previous night would become a reality. He was brought out of his silent musings as his cellphone rang. Rushing to his kitchen table where he'd left the small device, he swiftly picked it up before glancing at the screen. Seeing that it was Anya calling, the former guard immediately answered.

"Hey, what's up?" He said into the receiver.

"Um, hey Mike." The young woman replied, uncertain.

The brown haired man could hear the hesitation in his girlfriends voice and couldn't help feeling worried about what she had to say. It wasn't that he was afraid she was going to break up with him... no, he could tell from her voice that that wasn't the case. Something else was going on.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concern shining in his brilliant, blue eyes.

"Is it..." She paused before trying again. "Would it be possible for me to stay with you tonight?"

"W...what?" Mike stuttered in shock, sure he had misheard.

"Mom and I, well, we kinda got into a fight." Anya admitted, as Mike listened closely. "I told her about trying to find my dad and she just..."

Mike closed his eyes in trepidation as the girl trailed off.

"What did she do Anya?" He asked through clenched teeth, afraid of the answer he would receive.

"It's not like she hit me or anything..." The writer denied as she tried to calm herself. "She just... she said that if I was so dissatisfied with the life we had then I should just leave and... and not to trouble myself with coming back. So... is it okay for me to... to come over?"

"Of course. Do you need me to pick you up somewhere? I don't think you should be driving with how upset you are." He declared, already reaching for his jacket on the back of a chair.

"No, no it's alright." She responded, causing Mike to hesitate. "I'll get a cab. I don't want to be a bother."

"Anya," The manager chastised lightly. "You could never be a bother to me. Tell me where you are and I'll come get you. There's no need to waste your money."

"I... I guess you're right." Anya conceded. "I'm at the park near the hotel."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes." Mike asserted in what he hoped was a reassuring tone.

Promptly hanging up the phone the young man pulled on his coat and headed downstairs, calling for Freddy as he went. It was hard to believe that Mrs. Kittner had gotten so upset that she pretty much banished her own daughter... but he didn't doubt his lovers word. Something was going on and he wanted to find out what. He was greatly relieved as the robotic bear met him at the landing, a slightly worried look on his metallic face.

"Michael?" The lead animatronic asked, apprehensively. "What is the matter?"

"Freddy, Anya just called. She needs a place to stay for tonight, maybe longer, I'm not sure." He explained, frazzled. "I know you'd never hurt her... but I haven't exactly told her you guys are sentient yet."

Mike awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck as understanding dawned on the bears face.

"I don't really know how to ask this, after all it's your home too but..." The former guard was cut off as the lead singer raised his paw before beginning to speak.

"You want us to stay still while she's present." Freddy stated knowingly, as he nodded his large head. "That's fine... I'll explain to the others about what has happened. It wouldn't do to frighten your lady friend now, would it?"

"Thank you for understanding, it means so much to me." Mike smiled thankfully as he rushed out the door to his car.

It took about fifteen minutes to reach the park and as he pulled the car to a stop, the former guard could see Anya sitting on one of the swings. He immediately made his way over and sat on the one beside her, legs pulled up towards his chest, as he took in her appearance. The young woman had tear stains on her cheeks and her eyes were red and puffy. It was clear that she had been crying not long before. Her clothes where wrinkled and smudged with dirt from the playground equipment but it was the look she gave him that stole Mikes breath. Her beautiful green eyes, which had been so full of life a mere week ago, held only defeat and sadness. In that moment, Mike knew he would do anything within his power to return the light that had been stolen from their emerald depths.

"Hey?" The young man spoke at last. "Are you ready to get out of here?"

Anya slowly turned to glance at him, wistful emotion displayed on her face. "Yes, let's go."

Without another word they headed back to the car to return to the pizzeria.

Once there, the new manager immediately showed his guest up to his room where he got her settled. He decided to take the couch and let her have the bed, after all... it was the gentlemanly thing to do. After making sure there was nothing else that his girlfriend needed Mike fell into a restless sleep, dreaming of notes, arguments, and the look in his beloveds eyes. It took several hours before he fell into a sound slumber, but when he did... he dreamt of much happier things.

_The small boy raced through the doors of his foster parents house. He had just gotten back from school and was full of excitement. Mikey had gotten first place for the short story contest his elementary school had held and his eyes sparkled with pride. He rushed up to the room he shared with Jeremy and quietly opened the door, not wanting to disturb the older boy, before peeing inside. The blond had been forced to stay home that morning cause he'd caught a fever sometime during the night... but Mikey knew just how to cheer him up. Upon finding his adopted older brother awake and reading a book, the younger boy threw the door fully open and rushed forward._

"_Jer! Guess what!" He exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "You'll never believe what happened!"_

"_Hmm... did you trip during gym again?" The green eyed child teased good-naturedly, having already realized why his little brother was so thrilled._

"_Nooo, and that wasn't my fault anyway, someone tripped me." The younger pouted slightly before his smile returned full force. "I won! I really did it Jeremy! I really did it!"_

_There was no need to explain any further, after all... they'd both been waiting for the results of the contest for nearly a week. The older boy pulled Mikey into a tight embrace and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. _

"_I knew you could do it buddy." He declared softly. _

"_It's all thanks to you." The brown haired child said, looking up with adoring eyes. "If you hadn't convinced me to enter then I never would have had the courage to."_

_Jeremy shook his head in mild exasperation. "No Mikey. I may have given you a little push in the right direction... but you won all on your own. You've got amazing talent. Even though you're so young, whatever you write is so full of spirit and wonder. You can paint a picture with your words that just draws people in and I'm so proud of you. You've started to follow your dream and I know, someday, I'll see your books sitting on shelves in the store. When that day comes I'll stop and think 'He did it... My baby brother finally achieved his dream of being a famous author!' So no matter what happens I want you to promise me... never give up on that dream, okay bro?"_

"_Jer..." Mikey trailed off, tears gleaming in his blue eyes. "I promise! I will become an author, but you have to promise to become a great teacher... Deal?"_

"_Sure thing." The elder agreed, smiling. "Deal."_

A content smile formed on Mike's face as he snuggled deeper into his blankets, unaware of the shadow sneaking it's way toward the stairwell.

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

Foxy stuck his head out of Pirates Cove and stealthily glanced around. It had been several hours since their child had brought the lassie home and he was greatly curious as to how things were going. Knowing Mikey like he did though, the pirate fox was sure the lad was being a perfect gentleman. He slowly crept out of the curtains, making sure not to make a sound as he made his way towards the stage.

"Psst." He hissed, trying to gain the attention of the other three animatronics without being overly loud.

Freddy looked up, meeting the foxes golden stare. "What is it Foxy? We're not supposed to be wandering around tonight, remember? Is something troubling you?"

The leader made his way over to the edge of the stage, the girls close behind, and they all took a seat. He was certain that the pirate wouldn't have come if he didn't have a good reason.

"I not be certain." The swashbuckler admitted, glancing toward the stairs where he thought he'd seen movement. "I just be wondering what be going on. Ya said that all me little matey told ya was that the wee lass be needing a place to stay fer the night, but that be making no sense. Why ain't she just staying with her ma like she be doing before?"

"I overheard Mike talking on the phone." Chika announced, eyes dull with worry. "He was talking to that Anya girl about how her mom and her got in a fight. She got kicked out of their hotel room."

"So that is the reason." The leader stated solemnly, shaking his head. "It is a shame when parents and children don't get along."

"I hope it will all work out for the better." Bonnie added, quietly... her gentle gaze filled with concern.

"Don't ye be worrying, me dear." Foxy proclaimed, winking towards the purple bunny. "I'm sure it will all be blowing over soon. These types of things never be lasting long in me own experience. Besides, Mikey wouldn't be letting his girlfriend get hurt, ye be knowing that as well as I do."

"Yes, I'm sure you're right. That boy has the kindest heart... he can't bear to see anyone suffer." She replied as the four animatronics nodded, falling into less troubling conversation.

The animatronic fox just managed to glimpse the frightened face that peaked out at them from behind the stairs moments before it ducked out of view.

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

_'What... how?" _Anya asked herself in confusion, eyes wide as she once again peered around the corner from her place on the bottom step. _'How is this possible!? The robotic animals... they can talk? They're acting like actual people! What if those stories I've heard are true? Do they really kill anyone who stays here at night?'_

She shuddered, thinking of all the rumors that had centered around the previous restaurant.

_'I've got to get out of here!' _She decided, not even caring about her stuff upstairs. _'But what about Mike? I could barely make out what they were saying but... they were talking about him and it... it sounded like they were friends! Is he in on this!? No! No way... the Mike I know would never hurt anyone. Sure he's been through some extremely traumatic experiences in the past year but even so... he's still the guy I used to know, right?'_

The black haired woman silently debated for another few minutes before finally coming to a decision.

_'I'm sorry Mike... I need to get away from this place!' _The green eyed girl cried internally as she quietly snuck towards the door.

"Where do ya think ye be going lassie?" A rough voice spoke behind her and she slowly turned, heart jumping into her throat as she saw the animatronic fox staring straight at her.

_What happened to the others?'_ She thought uneasily, face contorting in fear. _'No, no, no, no, no! They're gone! Where are they!?'_

Whipping around, a scream tore from her throat as she noticed the chicken mere feet away, blocking her path to the door. Upon checking her left and right she was terrified to discover both routes also closed off. With no way out, Anya crouched down... burying her face in her knees so that she wouldn't see them getting ready to rip her apart. Tears formed in her eyes as she awaited her imminent demise. All of a sudden, a hand was placed on her shoulder... making her yelp as she tried to jerk free.

"Ms. Anya... please let us explain." She heard a deep voice say as the grip tightened slightly but not enough to be painful.

"Wha...what do you want... with me?" She stammered, body shaking uncontrollably.

"We would just like you to hear us out." The robot replied, dare she say, kindly. "I promise you will not be harmed."

Risking a glance up, her eyes met the honest face of the mechanical bear. It didn't seem like he wanted to kill her but was the writer truly willing to trust his word. What choice did she have, surely they could have just destroyed her right there if they'd wanted. With a resigned sigh, she stood, waiting to be led to her doom.

The animatronics guided her to the nearest table, waiting patiently for the young woman to take a seat before joining her. She noticed that each of the four sat at least two chairs away, giving her space while also letting her know it would be futile to flee. Anya slumped down, fully expecting them to turn on her any second now.

"Just calm down there, lass." Foxy huffed upon seeing her eyes nervously twitching to keep each of them in her line of sight. "Freddy here already be telling ya that ye won't come to no harm."

"H...how can I tru...trust you?" She demanded, though her teeth were chattering so hard it was difficult to make out. "For a...all I know y...you could be pla...planning on killing me a...as we sp...speak."

"I promise we wouldn't do that, sweetie. Mikey would never forgive us if we let you get hurt." Bonnie replied in a soothing tone. "How about I go get you some nice cool water? You look like you could use it."

The animatronic rabbit walked off toward the kitchen, not waiting for an answer, as the others smiled after their nurturing friend.

"Mikey?" The girl asked after a few moments, having calmed down slightly due to the female robots reassurance. "Why do you keep talking like Mike is your friend?"

"He's not a friend!" Chika denied as the human sighed in relief, at least mike wasn't in on this... that hope was shattered as the chicken spoke once again. "He's family silly. We all love him dearly and think of his as our own."

"WHAT!?" The startled woman exclaimed shrilly as Bonnie set the glass of water in front of her. "How can he be family you're... you're ROBOTS!"

"That is a long story..." The bear responded, meeting her apprehensive gaze. "But if you are willing to listen we would be prepared to tell it to you... though you must promise never to discuss it with anyone other than Mike and ourselves."

"Hey, what about me?" The sudden question startled all but the the pirate fox as Jeremy stepped out of the shadows on the other side of the room. "I happen to know you're guys' secret too, ya know."

Foxy chuckled at his friends surprised reactions, having spotted the intruder several minutes earlier.

"Ye have been standing there fer awhile matey." The fox asserted jokingly, the older human and him having been on somewhat better terms since their little talk the night before. "What be the matter? Afraid we might decide that the lassie here ain't good enough fer me little matey? Ye don't have to worry, we not be planning on making her walk the plank."

"That's good to hear. I just thought I'd keep an eye out... better safe than sorry if ya know what I mean." The teacher answered, green eyes glinting dangerously before returning to normal.

Anya missed the barely perceptible flinches of the band members, her face contorted in confusion as she stared at the newcomer.

"Um, excuse me but... who are you?" She asked, then thought to herself. _'Maybe he can get me out of here!" _

The blond sauntered forward, clearly untroubled by the fact that they were surrounded by potentially killer animatronics.

"The name's Jeremy, I'm Mike's adopted big brother." He revealed, smiling brightly as he pulled up a chair to sit next to his bros panicked girlfriend. "I didn't trust these guys at first either, heck I still find it slightly hard to believe in them sometimes, but just give them a chance. It's always worth it to hear the other side of the story after all."

Anya was stunned. She had heard Mike talk about his brother from foster care but she had never expected to find him here of all places, being friendly with the monsters that had... had what exactly? Reassured her that she wouldn't be hurt? Got her a drink to help calm her nerves? Never laid a hand on her even when they'd had every opportunity? That revelation made her resolve falter as she looked at the robotic animals in a new light. So far they had been true to their word and she could hear the affection in their voices whenever they talked about Mike. Taking a deep breath, her face became determined as she turned to face the apparent leader.

"I guess I'll trust you for now... but only on a trial basis." She declared, sounding braver than she felt. "I don't know what's been going on here, I'm not sure I want to know, but I love Mike. If he thinks of you as his family then I'm sure you can't be as evil as the rumors say you are."

"Very well." Freddy said solemnly, blue eyes serious. "The first thing you must know is that we've done things we are not proud of..."

So began the retelling of everything that had happened. Anya sat there listening in rapt attention as the animatronics intricate history was revealed. She gasped as she listened to their version of the bite of '87... having already heard her mothers account. She laughed as they recounted their adventures with the little boy who would eventually grow up to be the love of her life. That didn't last long though, as they recalled the day that Mikey had stopped showing up at the pizzeria. She frowned sadly, knowing all too well what had happened to the child as he had told her about his parents when they'd attended collage together. The published author cringed, backing away slightly in her seat as the truth of the disappearances came to light. So they had murdered people! Yet, even so, they hadn't actually meant to... it had all been a terrible misunderstanding. Finally they began telling the tale of what had happened once they were reunited with Mike. The young woman couldn't suppress a small chuckle at the thought of him threatening the dangerous animatronics, and with a chair of all things! Her eyes darkened, however, with the entrance of the Hunter. It was clear that he was the real monster. That demon had nearly killed the man she loved and she would never forgive him for that. By the time the story was finished Anya was in tears, finally realizing how close she had come to losing her lover before she'd even realized what he meant to her. Sobs wrenched themselves from her throat, painfully, as she buried her face in her hands.

"Why?" She whispered hoarsely, unable to speak any louder. "Why didn't he tell me how bad it was? All he ever said about Nicolei was that he'd had to be put in the hospital because of him. He never mentioned that he'd ALMOST DIED!"

Jeremy rubbed soothing circles on the young woman's back, unsure what else to do as the robotic animals watched in worry, not daring to move in fear of frightening the girl. After several minutes, Bonnie took the chance and approached, grabbing a napkin off the table before kneeling down beside the writer.

"Hush now..." She soothed, gently using a paw to turn the humans face towards her so she could wipe away the tears that still fell like rain. "I'm sure Mikey didn't say anything because he didn't want to worry you with something that was in the past. He's just that kind of person... always thinking of others before himself."

Anya glanced around, noticing everyone else nodding, as she smiled tearfully. It was true... that was exactly the kind of guy he was. In that moment she realized that these beings knew Mike just as well as she did. Each of the robotic animals cared for him so much that they had been willing to sacrifice their own lives to save him. There was no disputing it, they really were his family... and she would do her best to be the kind of girl they deemed worthy of his love.

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**AN: Thanks for reading... hope you enjoyed... please review... all that normal stuff I usually say ;)**


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